It Was Supposed to be Always
by livewritealways
Summary: It was supposed to be always; they were supposed to have their happy ending, their fairytale. Not this. Post 6x23.
1. Chapter 1

_I know there are a lot of wonderful post 6x23 fics out there right now, but I had this idea in my head and I had to get it out. I hope you are all recovering from that episode…I know I'm not over it. Thanks so much to the wonderful __**burningxredxcaskett **__for encouraging me to post this, for the read through and her amazing cover art! I hope you all enjoy!_

**As much as I wish they were mine, the characters belong to AWM. **

She sank slowly to the ground, oblivious to the arms that tried to hold her up.

They weren't his. That was all she wanted.

His car was in flames. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. Not without him.

Someone pulled her up off of the ground and held her close, but the grip was suffocating. With renewed strength and energy, Kate pulled herself free and darted towards the car. She was caught around the middle, and when she screamed, she didn't recognize the sound as human. Her fiancé, her everything, her always, was in that wreckage and she had to get to him. She had to save him.

"Kate." The voice caught her by surprise. She wasn't used to Esposito using her first name. She paused long enough at his voice for him to grab her again.

When did he get there? Why wouldn't he let her get to Rick?

"Kate," Esposito repeated quietly as she continued to struggle. "He's - "

"No!" she screamed. "Don't say it. Don't you dare say it. He's not," Kate managed to get out before the uncontrollable sobs racked through her body and she collapsed against her friend.

Kate was shifted slightly and felt, rather than heard Lanie's presence. She turned, hoping to see something in her best friend's face that told her this was all a lie, that Rick was alive, waiting for her somewhere, but instead was met with teary eyes.

"Lanie," Kate's eyes and voice pleaded with her. Right now, she relied on Lanie more than anyone. "Lanie, please. I need you to see. I need you to be sure that he was in the car. Please."

Lanie's eyes told her she didn't believe he had escaped the wreckage, but she had to try. He had promised her always. He had opened up her heart in a way that no one ever could. It couldn't all be for nothing. They had solved her mother's case. This was the time for their fairy tale, not time for this. He couldn't be dead.

Kate repeated this to herself over and over again as she watched Lanie walk away. He couldn't be dead. She stood up to walk over to the side of the road to look for herself but stopped when she heard her name.

It was whispered so quietly she almost missed it. Kate turned around to see Alexis standing feet away from her. Her tear stained face looked back and forth between Kate and the still flaming car.

The moment Kate stepped forward, Alexis launched herself into her arms and clung to her almost stepmother. This girl, this woman who had organized a change of venues and all of the details just days before their wedding suddenly looked all of ten years old.

Kate wanted to be strong for the girl, she did. She just didn't know how. She couldn't bring herself to speak, so they clung to one another, both desperately hoping that this was a mistake. That they would hear Richard Castle's familiar, hearty laugh, and see him walk towards them.

He couldn't be dead. He wouldn't leave her like this. He wouldn't leave _them_ like this.

She lost track of time as they stood together, both alternating between sobs and shocked silence, but neither woman broke contact. They needed each other.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lanie walked over to them. The fire had been extinguished, and there were more people on scene than Kate could count. Esposito and Ryan had given them space, but she could see them hovering nearby, the worry etched all over their faces.

Lanie looked down to the ground as though to compose herself, took a deep breath and her eyes found Kate's, then Alexis'.

"I'm so sorry. There was someone inside. Kate, he was in the car."

Kate shook her head violently. "No. No."

Alexis fell to her knees beside them as Martha rushed forward. The older woman joined her granddaughter on the ground and they sobbed together.

"It's not true. He wasn't in the car," Kate said. As much to reassure herself as the rest of their group.

Tears rolled down Lanie's cheeks and she quickly swiped them away. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

"No!" Kate screamed it this time. "He's not dead. Lanie, you have to run DNA. I can feel it, it's not him."

"Kate, honey, as much as I want to believe that, you know as well as I do that could just be your adrenaline from all of this. You want him to be alive, - "

Kate cut her friend off. "Yes. I want him to be alive. But I know he is. If Rick has taught me anything it's that there's always more to the story. Please Lanie. I'm begging you. I don't trust anyone else to run it."

Lanie nodded. She didn't think it was possible, but for Kate, for Alexis, for their piece of mind, she would run the DNA personally. Lanie nodded again, slowly, squeezed Kate's hand and walked over to the scene to do her job.

Martha stood up and drew Kate into her arms. She felt herself begin to tremble violently as Martha rubbed circles of comfort over her back. This woman might have lost her son and she was still concerned about Kate.

He couldn't be dead.

A sudden ringing pulled Kate out of her thoughts. She hadn't realized the phone was still in her hand. How had that even happened?

She looked down at the screen and saw it was a blocked number. Her heart raced as she swiped her unsteady thumb across the screen.

"Hello?"

That's when she heard it. The song that chilled her to the bone and sent a fresh wave of panic coursing through her body.

_We'll meet again _

_Don't know where_

_Don't know when_

_But I know we'll meet again_

_Some sunny day_

_Keep smiling through_

_Just like you always do_

_'Till the blue skies_

_Drive the dark clouds far away_

And the line went dead.

_If you guys want me to, I'll continue, just let me know! Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow you guys! The response has been overwhelming! I love that we all come together during hiatus…this fandom truly is the best. Thanks so much for all of your reviews! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Special thanks to __**burningxredxcaskett**__ for helping to figure this one out!_

Chapter 2.

Rick woke to the barrel of a gun being slammed across his face. Stars danced in his line of vision as he fought to bring the room to focus.

It was dark. Too dark. But where was he? What was going on?

The last thing he remembered was driving to - Kate. Their wedding. A chilled panic washed over him. He had to get out of here, wherever here was.

Rick moved to stand, but found himself bound tightly to a chair. The slight movement caused his vision to blur and he fought against the feeling that he was slipping away. He couldn't help it though. As hard as he fought, he felt himself sinking back into unconsciousness. The last image that flashed across his mind was Kate. Kate. And the room went dark.

When he woke again, his head was throbbing and he could barely open his left eye. Pain radiated in his stomach and he looked down, surprised to see he wasn't wearing a shirt. A large, purple bruise appeared to be growing before his very eyes. The blackened center seemed to meld into the bright purple surrounding it. What the hell had happened?

"Ah, Mister Castle. How nice of you to wake up."

His blood ran cold. He'd know that voice anywhere. Jerry Tyson.

"Tyson," Rick spit out. "What the hell - "

A fist collided with Rick's mouth and he lowered his head in pain. He tasted the iron and immediately felt the warmth of his blood fill his mouth. He spat it out onto the ground and looked back up to the man who stood in front of him. Rick opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

"Uh-uh-uh Rick. I thought you would have learned your lesson. I'm doing the talking here, not you. Is that clear?"

Rick grunted in response. His mind was racing. He had to get out of here. He had to get to Kate. They were supposed to get married.

"Pity you had to miss your wedding, isn't it?"

Rick jerked his head up in anger and felt his head swim. What had Tyson done to him? He felt the bile move up in his throat and heaved over his arm onto the floor.

"What do you - " Rick began, but was interrupted when the barrel of a gun, again, connected with his head. Fireworks exploded in his line of vision before the room went dark.

The music was quiet. So quiet in fact that Rick thought he might be dreaming. It wasn't until he was able to focus on the words that he figured it out.

_Keep smiling through__  
__Just like you always do__  
__'Till the blue skies__  
__Drive the dark clouds far away_

He tried to open his eyes, but they were both swollen shut. He opted for his voice instead. "Kate! Kate!" He called, desperate to let her know he was alive.

Rick felt the air move in front of him and heard Jerry Tyson's ragged breathing.

"You're too late, Rick. She didn't hear you."

He was too late. Rick dropped his chin to his chest. If he could just make the pounding in his head stop, maybe, just maybe he could figure out a way to get out of this situation.

Every inch of his body screamed out in pain. He didn't know that he would even be able to move should he figure out a way to escape. He would worry about that later. Right now he had to focus on making the pulsing stop so he could get away. So he could get to Kate. To his always.

"Oh, she'll know you're alive," Tyson sneered. "I'm confident in the future Misses Castle's ability to decipher my code. Oh, that's right, I forgot. She'll never get to be Misses Castle because you'll be dead. She's going to go crazy in her search for you. I'll give her clues along the way, but it will never be enough. And just when she thinks she's found you, I'm going to deliver your cold, dead body to her front door. She'll finally understand that I'm in charge, and she'll live the rest of her days knowing that she was too late to save you. That it was her fault you died."

Rick felt Tyson's breath on his cheek and pulled away. He might not be able to see the man, but he wanted as much distance from him as possible.

"Get some rest Rick," Tyson said cheerfully. "We've got a lot to look forward too." He patted Rick's cheek, and the pain was excruciating. "Get some rest my friend."

Tyson brushed past his arm and then there was silence.

Rick fought to open his eyes, but was unsuccessful. He felt the tears, and the release of them racing down his cheeks, landing on his bare chest.

He would not end like this. He would not let this happen to Kate. Or their family. He promised her always, and that's what he would give her. He just needed to think of a plan.

But first, he needed to rid himself of the pulsing in his head.

He just needed to sleep. Just for a little bit. The mixture of pain and exhaustion washed over him as he let himself drift away. Kate. He had to get to Kate.

He dreamed of her. Of the wedding they were supposed to have.

He stood at the end of the aisle. Waiting, for her.

When she turned to face him, the rest of the world fell away.

She looked beautiful. Radiant, glowing in a startlingly white dress, with her hair pulled back, soft tendrils of curls framing her face. And her smile. There was nothing like it in the world. There was no one else who could make him forget everything and everyone else the way she could. It was always her. She was the one he had been waiting for. Always.

She started down the aisle and when their eyes connected he watched his wife-to-be pull her bottom lip shyly between her teeth.

But then, suddenly, he felt himself being pulled away. But, no. They were so close. They were supposed to be married. He fought against the pull, tried to free himself to get to Kate. She was screaming, running towards him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get any closer.

Rick woke with a shudder and a strangled gasp. Even in his dreams he was drawn to her. He couldn't let her down. He wouldn't let her down. He had to get to her.

He wouldn't give up. This was going to be ok. He would give her their always.

Wasn't he the one who had said, 'what's a great love story without obstacles to overcome? Every fairytale has them. Terrible trials that only the worthy can transcend. But you can't give up.' He wouldn't give up.

This was another obstacle. That was all. They have come too far for this. Bombs, snipers, ex-wives, ex-boyfriends. They've beaten Jerry Tyson before and they'd do it again. They've overcome all odds and come together in what Rick considered to be the best fairytale of all.

He just needed a plan.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	3. Chapter 3

_Wow, you guys are continuing to surprise me with your support of this story! It makes me want to write faster, so thank you! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! As always, thanks to __**burningxredxcaskett **__for the read through!_

Chapter 3.

The phone dropped out of her hand and landed with a dull thud on the ground. He's alive.

_He's alive._

Kate felt a pair of arms wind around her waist to hold her up. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move.

_He's alive._

She fought to get her mind to cooperate. She had to tell everyone.

"Tyson," Kate whispered frantically. "It's Tyson. Tyson has him."

Gasps of, "What?" and, "Are you sure?" came from Esposito and Ryan.

One look from Kate told them. She was sure.

"We have to find him. Tyson _will_ kill him," Kate said, eyes wide as she fought against the numbness she was feeling. "I should have listened to him. He said Tyson was still out there and I didn't believe him. I didn't want to believe him," she rambled as she started to shake uncontrollably.

"Kate." Lanie had walked over, unnoticed and grabbed her friend's arms, careful to position herself directly in Kate's line of sight. "It's a woman. In the car I mean. It's not Rick."

"I know," Kate told her, a fresh wave of tears falling down her cheeks. "He's alive. Tyson has him."

"Are you sure? How do you know?" Lanie asked as she looked at Esposito and Ryan who nodded grimly.

"The song. I got a phone call and he played the song. He's going to kill him, Lanie."

"No." The voice was so quiet they almost missed it. Alexis stood up and looked at the detectives and medical examiner that surrounded her. They had almost forgotten she was there.

"No," the redhead repeated, more firmly this time. "Tyson isn't going to kill him. You're going to stop him. You've done it before, and you'll do it again. I know you will. You can save my dad. You _will_ save my dad." She was trying to convince herself as much as the rest of them, but her words seemed to have the desired effect.

Kate looked at her almost stepdaughter and nodded before she pulled the girl in for a hug.

"You're right. We just need to think. He'll slip up, and when he does. I'll be ready. I need to get out of this dress. We need to go back to the house. Alexis, why don't you and Martha - "

"No," Alexis interrupted.

Kate frowned at her in confusion.

"I'm not going anywhere. He's my dad. I want to help if I can. I'll do anything. Anything at all. I just need to help."

Lanie looked to Kate who closed her eyes and nodded. If there was anything she understood, it was the need to be involved, to feel useful when everything else seemed to be falling apart. She could give his daughter this.

"I know I could use some caffeine," Kate said quietly. "Some sense of normalcy."

Alexis grinned and wiped her tears away. "I'm on it. Anyone else?" Esposito, Ryan and Lanie nodded. "Okay. I'll meet you back at the house."

The group watched her walk away.

"Do you think it's wise to let her help with this?" Esposito asked, clearly worried about the youngest Castle.

"Espo. I can't imagine being kept out of this. I know what it is to need to feel useful; to feel like you're doing everything you can to help. She needs this. Hell, I need this. Lanie, can you help me get out of this dress. I need to find him. Before it's too late."

They went back to the house and Kate had to fight just to keep herself standing and moving forward. Everywhere she looked there was some part of their wedding, some part of them, some part of him. She closed her eyes a moment to take a deep breath and collect her thoughts.

She had to block out the flowers, the chairs that had been set up on the beach, the pictures of their family on every wall she walked past, the seashells they had collected, even the smell that was so wonderfully _him_.

She wasn't going to take anything down. No. The flowers would stay. The chairs, too. The wedding setup wouldn't move. She'd make sure of that. They were going to have their wedding, as planned. She had waited too long to be Misses Richard Castle. They were going to have their fairytale. Their always.

Kate walked upstairs to their bedroom and allowed Lanie to help her out of her dress before carefully hanging it back up. Rick would see her in her mother's wedding dress. He would see her walking down the aisle towards him. She would watch as his face lit up with that smile he reserved just for her. They would say their vows. They would promise always.

She just had to find him. She had to beat Jerry Tyson once and for all.

When she was dressed in a pair of simple jeans and a crisp blue button down, Kate made her way into Rick's office, where Esposito and Ryan had already begun to set up a board with what they knew.

Rick's picture had been placed in the center.

Kate had to fight back the bile that rose in her throat at the thought of his face in the spot reserved for those who had been murdered. Rick wasn't dead. He was alive, she reassured herself.

Alive.

Lanie stepped into the room just as she hung up her phone.

"They've identified the body."

Three heads swiveled to the doorway as they waited for her to give them the news.

"It was Doctor Kelly Nieman," Lanie told them. "I thought she was - "

"Tyson's girlfriend?" Kate interjected.

Lanie nodded. "So why would he kill her?"

"The man's a serial killer," Esposito practically spat. "He doesn't have to make sense. She probably wasn't of use to him anymore."

"Katherine?" Martha interrupted with a knock on the office door as she opened it. "A delivery man just brought a package for you."

"Thanks, Martha," Kate said absentmindedly. "You can just set it on the desk. It's probably a wedding present or something."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do," Martha told her as she moved to leave.

"Martha?"

"Yes, Darling?"

Kate tried to smile for the older woman. "Just. Please, don't let them take down the decorations, okay? We're going to have this wedding. I'm going to find him."

"You can count on me." Martha closed the door behind her.

Kate turned her attention back to the other detectives. "There has to be a reason it was Doctor Nieman. He's trying to tell us something."

"Kate," Lanie said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Look at the box. There's no return address. And it's made out to Detective Katherine Beckett. If it was something for the wedding, wouldn't it be to Katherine Beckett or Richard Castle, or even the two of you?"

Kate suddenly felt sick. Why didn't she notice? She was supposed to be the detective. She crossed the room quickly and ripped the package open.

Inside was a Polaroid picture. Rick was seated, naked from the waist up, in a chair. His arms and feet were secured and he was slumped over. Purple and black bruises peppered his skin. She couldn't see his face. She needed to see his bright blue eyes, his boyish smile. Her hand shook as she looked at the man she had just spoken with hours before.

There was a note under the picture.

_Here's your proof, Detective. Your writer is alive. For now. Think back on our time together. He's somewhere familiar. I repeat, for now. I left him alive for you here once before, but there's no guarantee I'll do it again. I'd hurry if I were you, Detective. I'm confident that we'll be gone by the time you get here, but you should try. You never know what you might find. Happy hunting._

"The hotel," Kate said as she fought through the panic. "The hotel where he had you," she added to Ryan. "He's there. We have to hurry."

She turned on her heel and ran out of the room, closely followed by her team. "Someone tell Gates to get a team over there. We're on our way," she called over her shoulder.

She knew they'd be gone. But she had to try. The picture was proof her fiancé was alive, but he looked terrible. No doubt Tyson had tormented him, and would continue to do so.

She had to hurry.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	4. Chapter 4

_You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for the reviews and love! Who knew it could be so much fun to write angst? Hope you enjoy this next one…As always, thanks to __**burningxredxcaskett**__ for reading this through for me – you rock!_

Chapter 4.

Rick woke with a start to the sound of a slamming door.

"Ah, good, you're awake," Tyson grinned as he crossed the room to stand in front of him. "You like our change of venues?"

Rick fought to open his eyes. The ache was almost too much to bear, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his stomach. He breathed through the agony and willed himself to look into the face of the man who held him captive.

"What do you want from me, Tyson?"

The man bent down so he was at eye level with Rick. "I thought that was clear. I want your Detective to pay for all of the trouble she's caused me. When she finds your dead body she's going to know pain like she's never felt before."

It took everything he had, every ounce of strength he could muster, but Rick looked Tyson in the eye. "You'll never win."

"But that's where you're wrong. I always get what I want. _Always_."

Rick tried to hide his flinch at the use of their word. Tyson knew the importance; he'd kept them under surveillance before.

Tyson pulled out a knife and smiled. "A little parting gift for you. So you can remember that I'm the one in charge." He held the knife up to the light and turned it side to side before pressing the tip into the crook of Rick's arm.

He rested it there at first before slowly applying more pressure and puncturing the skin. He dragged the knife the length of Rick's arm and watched with satisfaction as the blood dripped slowly onto the floor.

Rick closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain. He thought of Kate, of their wedding. Of the children he wanted to raise with her. He thought of Alexis, his Mother, of his brothers from the precinct. He just had to make it through alive.

Tyson's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he felt a fresh wave of pain.

"I've got an errand to run. I'll be back soon. Try not to miss me too much." He smirked and closed the door behind him.

Rick heard the click of the lock and breathed a sigh of relief. He had to get out before Tyson returned.

He clenched and unclenched his hands that were secured with duct tape, and then he smiled. Why didn't he think of it before?

He thought back to his research when he had Nikki Heat duct taped to a chair. He'd had Alexis do the same to him so he could figure out how Nikki would get out of the situation. He could do this. He just had to find the strength.

Rick took a deep breath and thought of Kate, then he set to work.

He couldn't believe it when his left leg was finally broken free. It was the last piece to the puzzle. He did it. He actually did it. And his family had thought he was crazy for his so called research.

He made to stand up, but crumpled when his full weight landed on his weak, shaky legs.

Rick didn't know how much time had passed since he'd been with the triple killer or when the last time was he had eaten anything. He just knew he had to get out of this room before Tyson came back.

He crawled over to the door, wincing in pain with every movement and used the door handle to haul himself up to a standing position. There was nothing around him to use to pick the lock. Rick willed himself to think quickly, to come up with a way to escape.

That's when he saw it. A window.

He stepped one wobbly leg in front of the other as he made to cross the room as he prayed he wouldn't collapse. Thoughts of Kate and pure adrenaline helped him make it to the dusty window.

Rick looked around and found a baseball bat leaning against the wall. Well, that explained his bruising and severe stomach pain. He grasped the bat in his hand and thrust it with all of the strength he could manage and shattered the window.

He hoisted himself through it and onto the fire escape. The jagged pieces of glass only added to the cuts and bruises over his naked torso, and yet he couldn't believe his good fortune that there was indeed an escape route. This was almost too easy.

He looked down and realized he was on the third floor of an old, abandoned building. That's when it struck him. He'd been there before. This had been Tyson's headquarters when he had been framed for the murder of Tessa Horton.

Rick felt a chill on the nape of his neck and took a deep breath before he began his descent to street level.

Each step caused more pain than the one before it. As he neared the street, a sense of dread filled him. He was going to have to jump. He wasn't sure his body could handle it, but he didn't have a choice.

Rick closed his eyes and dropped.

His legs crumpled beneath him on impact and for a moment he couldn't move, he couldn't even breathe. And then, everything went dark.

Kate called his name, frantically as she burst through the door of the room Rick had been held in. She saw the empty chair, the broken window, and followed his trail of blood down the fire escape.

She saw him, lying there on the ground, and landed softly beside him, gathering him in her arms and sobbing into his hair that had been caked with blood. She pressed delicate kisses on his battered face and rocked him back and forth.

"Rick, you're okay. I'm right here Babe. I'm right here."

His heartbeat steadied. She'd found him.

He wanted to say something, anything to let her know that he could hear her.

He was alive and they were going to be –

He opened his eyes slowly and the crushing realization washed over him. It was a dream. Kate wasn't there. He was alone, battered and broken. But he'd escaped.

Rick rolled to his knees and pushed himself up. He had to keep fighting. For her.

He didn't know how long he walked, or how he managed it, he just knew he had to keep moving. It wasn't until he almost passed it that he realized he'd found a payphone.

He had never been so relieved to have spare change jingling in his pockets than he was at that moment. Alexis and Kate had always teased him for his habit, but it appeared this was going to be the thing to save his life.

Rick pushed the quarters into the slot and dialed Kate's number from memory.

He waited as the phone rang and willed her to answer. _Pick up Kate. Please pick up._

Rick relied on the outside box of the phone to support his weight as he fought against the pounding in his head and the pain that seemed to worsen with each and every passing second. He listened to it ring again.

_Please pick up._

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	5. Chapter 5

_You guys rock! Thank you so much for all of your reviews, pm's, and overall support! You're the best! Special thanks as always to __**burningxredxcaskett**__ for her endless help, and friendship. Hope you enjoy this one!_

Chapter 5.

Kate got the phone call as they were on the drive to the hotel room in the city. It was empty. Rick wasn't there. She was too late, just like Tyson had predicted.

She slammed her hand onto the dashboard and closed her eyes. She was supposed to be better than this. She was supposed to be better than Tyson. Her fiancé's life depended on it.

"How far?" she asked Esposito.

"Should be another hour or so. Why don't you try to get some sleep?" At her glare he hastily continued. "We don't know what we're going to find. Wouldn't it be better if you had some rest? You'll need every bit of energy you can manage to take Tyson down."

She couldn't argue with his logic.

"Kate honey," Lanie began from the backseat. "Javi's right. At least try to sleep."

Her friends meant well. But really, how could she sleep when Tyson had her fiancé? She sighed.

"Fine." She'd just pretend. It would be enough to satisfy their concern for the moment. She'd just close her eyes and pretend.

Kate didn't even realize how exhausted she was. The moment she closed her eyes sleep carried her away. She tried to close her mind to dreams. She didn't want to think of the maybes or what Tyson could be doing to Rick. She didn't want to imagine his cold, lifeless body, but, her mind seemed to have other plans.

She was too late.

Tyson toyed with her again and again, and each time she was too late. Each time there was a Polaroid picture with Rick looking more bruised and battered than the time before. She didn't know how much more he could take. She didn't know how much more she could take.

She was in the loft now, wrapped up in one of Rick's shirts and a pair of her old leggings. She needed to be close to him, to have the scent that was so wonderfully him surround her. But it was never enough. She needed him.

The doorbell rang and she looked down at her watch. It was just after midnight so it wasn't as though she was expecting company. Kate reached into the drawer in her bedside table and pulled out her gun. She crept towards the door and looked out the peephole.

Rick was slumped against the wall in the hallway. She wrenched the door open and flung herself towards him.

"Rick!" she screamed, wanting to see him look at her. "Rick!" He didn't open his eyes.

She touched his face gently, but it was cold. Too cold.

She was too late. Just like Tyson said she'd be.

He was dead.

Her own strangled scream pulled her out of the nightmare. There were tears soaking her face and panicked voices surrounding her.

"Kate? God, Kate. I tried so hard to wake you up, but you wouldn't," Lanie said, her voice shaking. She had never heard anything like the screams Kate had let out minutes before. They had chilled her straight to the bone.

"He's dead," Kate sobbed into her hands.

"He's not," Esposito told her firmly. "You were dreaming. He's not dead. We're going to find him."

Kate looked over at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. It was just a dream, a nightmare. It wasn't real. There was still hope.

Esposito brought the car to a stop in front of the hotel and Kate braced herself.

Ryan and Captain Gates got out of the car behind them and the group made their way up the stairs. Lanie kept a steadying hand on her friend's back, helping her move forward when it appeared her legs had forced her to stop.

The hotel room swirled with activity as they walked through the door.

"What have you found?" Gates asked the nearest officer.

"There's a video," he told her quietly, trying to avoid Kate's eyes. "It's not pretty."

"I need to see it," Kate said firmly.

Gates looked to Kate then back to the officer. "I don't think that's a good idea, Detective."

Kate's glare would have withered anyone else, but Gates stood tall. She surveyed her best detective and sighed. She knew that the younger woman needed to see the evidence, no matter what was on it.

"Okay." At the Captain's words, the officer placed the DVD into a monitor and pressed play.

Rick's image filled the screen. They watched as Tyson smiled into the camera, then walked over to where the writer was slumped in his chair, obviously unconscious. Tyson slammed the butt of his gun into Rick's head.

_It's time to wake up Mister Castle. Time to say hi to your fiancé. _

They watched as Rick forced his eyes open. Kate saw the combination of hope and fear – hope that she had come to save him and fear that she would be in the crosshairs.

Kate stifled a sob at the look of defeat in Rick's too-swollen eyes and winced when Tyson slammed a baseball bat into her fiancé's stomach. She felt Lanie shudder beside her and reach for her hand to squeeze. Rick slumped over once again, and Kate knew it was both a blessing and a curse that he was unconscious again.

Tyson turned to address her once more.

_I'd hurry if I were you, Detective. It doesn't look like your fiancé has much time left._

And the camera switched off.

Kate sank into a chair and started to shake. That's when she heard it. Her phone rang from her back pocket. She didn't even realize she had it on her.

She pulled it out and saw an unknown number.

"Captain. Someone's calling me. Unknown." Her thumb wavered above the screen as she waited for the order.

"Detective Ryan. See what you can do to start a trace." Gates nodded at Kate and waited.

"Hello?" She expected to hear Tyson, but instead heard ragged breathing.

_Kate?_

"Rick! Oh my God. Is that really you? Where are you? Are you okay?" Kate saw Ryan nod to Gates. He was trying; she just had to keep Rick talking.

_That's a lot of questions. _

She could hear the attempt at humor in his voice. All this man had gone through, and he was trying to make it easier, for her.

A fresh wave of tears ran down her face. He was alive.

"Babe, do you have any idea where you are?"

_Tyson. He left, and I got away. We were in that building, where he had the setup before._

Realization dawned on her. She knew the place. Of course she did.

He sounded exhausted, as though he was having trouble stringing words together. But he wasn't to far away. Kate looked to Ryan and got a nod and thumbs up. He'd traced the call, just to be sure. They had the location.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through her. "Rick, stay where you are. We're on our way. We'll be there soon."

They were already on their way out the door when he spoke again.

_Don't have much choice, Detective. So tired. Maybe I'll just close my eyes. Wait for you here._

"Rick, listen to me. I need you to stay with me, okay? Please stay with me. We're on our way. It's almost over."

_You and Alexis made fun of me for keeping spare change in my pockets. But it's a good thing I did. Got to call you. But I don't have any more. The phone's going to go dead any minute now. Don't worry. I'm gonna walk to you._

He sounded delirious. He needed a hospital – they had to hurry.

"Just stay there. We're on our way. Rick, we'll be there soon. Save your strength. Okay? Can you stay just off of the road? I don't want Tyson to find you."

_Okay, Kate. I'll - _

The line went dead.

"Dammit." Kate slammed her hand into the car door. "Dammit. The line went dead."

"We've got his location," Ryan assured her as Esposito whipped the car away from the curb and flew down the road. "We're going to find him."

Her hand trembled as she rubbed a hand through her hair. "Just hurry. Please."

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks to all of you for your continued support – it means the world to me! Every review/pm makes me smile, so thank you! Special thanks to __**burningxredxcaskett**__ for each and every read through in this and all my stories! Hope you enjoy!_

Chapter 6.

"Kate? Are you there?" _Dammit._ Rick thought as he slammed the phone back on the receiver. She'd said to move away from the road, but he wasn't sure if he could. His vision blurred and he wavered in place.

He'd just sit. Then maybe crawl his way towards the alley, away from the main road. He sank to the ground and sighed. Kate knew he was okay. She was going to find him.

Rick winced in pain and saw stars dance before his eyes. A car sped past and splashed water over him. He hadn't even realized it was raining. He mustered up the energy to roll onto all fours and slowly made his way over to the alley barely ten feet in front of him. Each movement caused more pain than the one before it and he had to pause to focus on his breathing.

He couldn't remember ever experiencing more pain in his life. He had to be running on pure adrenaline; that was the only explanation as to how he was still moving or rather crawling forward.

Adrenaline and thoughts of Kate. His Kate who should be his wife by now. He had to survive this, for her. For their family.

He thought he heard something, but when he looked over his shoulder, all he saw was darkness. So now he was hallucinating too?

Rick shook his head to clear his mind before he moved forward once again. He was almost there when he heard it again.

This time, when he turned his head to see, there was someone there.

"Thought you could get away from me, huh?" Tyson sneered. "Nice try."

Rick dropped his head to his chest. He'd been so close. They'd been so close.

Tyson hauled him off of the ground and headed back towards the building where he'd kept Rick captive. Rick's only prayer was that Tyson hadn't noticed the phone by the road. Tyson didn't spare it a glance as they walked by. It was a small miracle.

Kate knew where he'd been held before, so would she go back there when she couldn't find him? He hoped so. And he hoped she wouldn't be too late.

"Anything?" Kate called to Ryan and Esposito as she made her way back through the alley, careful to shine her flashlight in every nook and cranny on the off chance Rick had hidden himself well.

"No, nothing," Esposito frowned as he rounded the corner.

"That's definitely the phone though," Ryan told them as he gestured to the lone pay phone. "There's uh," he paused and looked hesitantly at Kate. "There's blood on the phone and on the ground."

Kate closed her eyes as the panic washed over her. Where the hell was he?

"He can't have gotten far, not with that amount of blood loss," Ryan said as Esposito shot him a look that clearly read, _shut up bro_.

They walked back over to the pay phone and raised their flashlights to follow the trail of blood towards the alleyway.

"How did I miss that?" Kate wondered aloud.

"Because it stops right before the entrance," Esposito answered, raising his arm to indicate where the blood trail had stopped.

Cold fear trickled down Kate's spine as the realization dawned on her. "Tyson must have found him."

Ryan and Esposito exchanged a worried glance.

"Do you think he'd risk taking him back to the building?" Esposito asked as he watched Kate go from pale to practically translucent before his very eyes.

She fought against the bile that had risen in her throat so she could answer him. "He might be cocky enough. Or we can hope that he doesn't know Rick called us."

They ran back to the car and sped up the street. Esposito turned the lights off as they approached, and Kate saw with a slight sense of relief that there was one lone, dim light on in the building.

It had to be them.

The trio checked their ammunition supply quickly and moved silently towards the building. They heard voices coming from upstairs, and Kate had to fight her instincts to race up and storm the room. Rick's safety had to come first, and if she wasn't careful, if they approached too quickly, Rick could be put in the crosshairs.

They paused outside of the room that was slightly ajar. A small ray of light ran into the hallway and they could hear the voices more clearly now.

"You thought you'd get away? Thought you'd what? Crawl your way back to your Detective?" Tyson jeered. "Too bad you'll never win Mister Castle. But, don't worry. Your suffering is almost over. Another day or so and I'll kill you. Then your Detective will finally have to admit that I've won. That I'm better than her."

They heard the unmistakable sound of bat connecting with flesh, and Kate couldn't take it anymore. She nodded to the boys who had already drawn their weapons and pushed the door open.

"Step away from him, Tyson," Kate called. Her heart broke at the sight of her fiancé slumped, unmoving in his chair.

Tyson grinned.

He pulled a hand from behind his back to show his gun and pointed it at Rick.

"Shoot me, Detective. There's no guarantee I won't squeeze this trigger and shoot your writer before I'm dead."

"Drop the gun, Tyson," Esposito commanded as he and Ryan moved to flank Kate.

Tyson's hand dipped slightly to the side as he diverted his attention to the other detectives. That's all it took.

Kate fired. One, two, three shots into Tyson's head and watched the man crumple to his feet, but not before he was able to fire off one shot of his own.

Rick's body jerked as the bullet collided with his shoulder, the force of it knocking his chair to the ground.

Kate ran forward and fell to her knees as she tried to stem the flow of blood even as Ryan pulled out his phone and called the code for officer down.

Tears streamed down Kate's face as she rocked Rick back and forth and prayed for him to stay with her. She barely nodded in acknowledgement when Ryan told her Tyson was, in fact, dead.

It didn't matter. None of it mattered if Rick didn't pull through. He was her everything, her always, and his pulse was weakening before her very eyes.

He had to be okay. He'd promised her always.

She barely heard the sound of the approaching ambulance and had to be pulled off of him by the medics. Someone screamed - a sound that was barely human when they tried to keep her from him, and it took a moment for Kate to realize the sound had come from her.

Esposito took point when Kate couldn't move or speak and ushered her into the ambulance alongside of her fiancé. She stared out at the boys as they shut the door, eyes wide and full of fear, grasping Rick's hand like a lifeline.

No sooner had the doors closed did they speed off, towards the hospital, towards the people that could save his life. Voices didn't register as the medics worked around Kate. All she could do was stare at Rick's face and pray that he would pull through.

He had to pull through. She couldn't do this, live without him.

He had to be okay.

She decided to will herself to think positively. He _would_ be okay.

He was a fighter. He was going to survive.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	7. Chapter 7

_You guys continue to surprise me with each chapter. Your kind words bring me such joy – I cannot even express how much they mean to me! Thank you so much for your support! Special thanks to __**burningxredxcaskett**__ for talking me down and making me feel better about this one, you rock!_

Chapter 7.

Rick remained unresponsive on their drive to the hospital. The ride only took minutes, but to Kate, it felt like hours. It felt as though it had been days since she'd seen his boyish smile, days since she'd seen his sparkling blue eyes, days since they should have been married. She needed to see his eyes dance, and see that smile he reserved just for her. She needed him to be okay.

When the ambulance slowed to a stop, Kate was ushered out of the way so the medics could race him down the seemingly endless halls of the hospital. Kate raced alongside of the gurney, hand still entwined with her fiancé's, not wanting to let him go.

They paused briefly outside a set of double doors and one of the men addressed her.

"Ma'am. We've got to take him back for surgery now. You need to let go."

Kate heard him, but didn't process the words. It wasn't until she felt her hand being removed from Rick's that she understood what was happening. They were taking him away.

Before she knew it, they had disappeared behind those double doors and she could hear them racing away. She waited until there was nothing but silence before she sank to the ground and buried her head in her hands.

This is where Ryan and Esposito found her when they ran into the hospital not even ten minutes later. Her body shook with the sobs as fear over the unknown gripped her heart.

The boys sat on the ground on either side of her and Kate leaned into Esposito while Ryan tried to rub her back.

"Hey, he's a fighter. He's going to be okay," Ryan said soothingly, desperate to give her something, anything to hold onto. It broke his heart to see the normally strong detective so defeated.

She raised her head to look at him and blinked back her tears. "How can you know? You saw him. He didn't respond to anything on the drive here."

Kate dissolved into tears again and the boys opted for silence. Nothing they could say would make a difference. All they could do was be there for her.

A short time later, they heard footsteps rushing down the hallway and saw Lanie, Martha and Alexis round the corner.

Alexis took one look at Kate and burst into tears. "Is he - ?" she managed as she looked between the detectives.

Kate stood and willed herself to control her emotions. She had to be strong for his daughter and mother. "He's in surgery," she said quietly to the young girl. "We found him, but we were almost too late. Tyson had beaten him. Badly. And then when I shot Tyson, he managed to shoot your dad in the shoulder before he fell. I don't know how bad it is, they haven't told me anything yet."

Alexis launched herself forward into Kate's arms and held on. After a moment, she pulled away and looked up at the older woman. "Is Tyson dead?"

Kate understood. The girl needed to know that the person responsible for this, the person responsible for her father's pain, for their pain, was dead.

Esposito spoke first. "He's dead. Kate shot him. He's not coming back this time."

Alexis nodded and buried her head in Kate's shoulder. Kate stroked her hair absentmindedly as they waited, eyes drawn to Martha because of her uncharacteristic silence.

Martha stood, unmoving, face pale as the group spoke around her. A lone tear slid down her cheek as she thought about her son, who was currently fighting for his life, and how he deserved his happy ending.

It was Lanie who broke the group out of their respective thoughts. "I'm gonna go see if I can find anything out. I'll be back." She squeezed Kate's hand as she walked past them, then disappeared as Rick had, through the double doors.

All they could do was wait.

Lanie came back a short time later, wearing a fresh pair of scrubs. Kate placed a steadying hand on Alexis' shoulder to ensure she stayed standing as her friend moved towards them.

"He's still in surgery," Lanie said slowly as she looked Kate in the eyes. "They have him stabilized. The bullet had a clean exit, so that won't be a difficult recovery. He has eight broken ribs." She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "One of the ribs has punctured his lung, and it collapsed. They've inserted a chest tube to help drain the air and try to get the lung to expand. They're trying to decide if his lung will need surgery."

Kate nodded numbly as she tried to process all of Lanie's information, but she didn't have long before her friend continued again.

"He has a number of broken bones besides the ribs, but, Kate, honey. Look at me."

Kate had been staring at the ground, fighting back tears, but she brought her gaze up to meet Lanie's.

"They're saying that considering what he's been through it could have been worse. Their outlook is positive Kate. He's probably going to be in the ICU, but it looks like he's going to be okay."

Kate's legs collapsed with relief, and if it wasn't for Esposito's steadying hands gripping her shoulders, she would have fallen to the ground.

"When will I be able to see him?" she managed to ask as she fought back tears.

"They'll probably be in surgery for another couple of hours. Why don't you go get some coffee?" Lanie suggested, but when she saw Kate's expression she changed her tactics. "Or I could run out and grab some for you."

Kate wasn't going anywhere. Not until she saw Rick with her own eyes. "Thanks, Lanie. Don't want to scare Rick when he wakes up. He always says I'm frightening without my caffeine," she tried to joke.

She got a slight smile out of Alexis, and small laughs out of the others.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to make him go through that after all he's been through," Esposito teased as he stood up to follow Lanie down the hallway.

Rick wasn't there to lighten the mood with his humor, so they took it upon themselves to try to keep things light for his sake.

The time ticked by as Kate and Alexis leaned on each other for support in the stiff, lumpy hospital chairs. Martha had dozed off in the chair next to them while flipping absentmindedly through an ancient copy of People Magazine. Alexis' eyes had just fluttered closed and Kate was glad the young girl was able to get some sleep – she needed it.

Kate sipped at her now cold coffee as she fought to keep her own eyes open. She didn't want to relive her earlier dreams, picture ways in which her showdown with Tyson had ended differently, or think of all of the things that could still go wrong with Rick's surgery.

They should have been married by now. They should have walked down the aisle as husband and wife. They should have danced their first dance to In My Veins. They should have stuffed cake in each other's faces and sipped champagne. They should have listened to speeches by their friends and laughed at Esposito doing the chicken dance -Rick had planned that one out. They should have been on their way to their honeymoon in Maldives.

The last day should have been different. But it wasn't. They were spending the time they should be celebrating in a hospital, with Rick fighting for his life on an operating table.

If he pulled through, or when he pulled through, Kate would do everything in her power to make it up to him. She wasn't going to let him out of her sight, even for a minute. They would be married in front of their families and friends as soon as possible.

She'd whisk him away as soon as he was able to travel for the honeymoon they were supposed to have.

They would have their always.

"Miss Beckett?" Kate had missed the sound of approaching feet. She jumped up to talk to the doctor as he walked over to her. "I'm Doctor Michaels. Your fiancé is out of surgery and is in the process of being moved to the ICU. I'd like to keep him there overnight. He's stable now, and if he remains that way tonight, I'd like to move him to another room upstairs."

"He's okay?" she asked, and waited with baited breath for a response.

Doctor Michaels nodded. "He's been through a lot, but I'm confident with time he will be able to make a full recovery."

Tears flooded Kate's eyes as she thanked the man who had saved Rick's life. "When can we see him?"

The doctor looked to Alexis and Martha who had moved to Kate's side as they spoke. "As soon as he's settled into his room I'll let you go back. But I would prefer if we kept it to one person at a time for tonight."

Kate nodded in understanding. "Thank you, doctor."

She watched as he walked away, and then turned to Martha. "If you want to go - "

But Martha shook her head before pulling her almost daughter-in-law in for a bone-crushing hug. "Katherine. Darling, go. You go." The older woman turned to her granddaughter who nodded in agreement.

"Go, Kate. You can get us later."

Kate brushed a tear from her cheek as she hugged them again and waited for someone to retrieve her.

In no time at all, a young nurse walked into the waiting room. "Miss Beckett? I can take you back to Mister Castle's room now."

Kate took a deep, steadying breath to prepare herself for seeing Rick's condition and followed the young woman through a maze of hallways, towards her fiancé, towards her always, because he was okay.

He was going to be okay.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	8. Chapter 8

_I really wasn't confident in that last chapter, but you guys really eased my mind. Thank you so much for showing your belief in me and for your continued support. I have the best readers ever! Special thanks to __**burningxredxcaskett**__ for her read through – love ya girly!_

Chapter 8.

Kate stood in the doorway, hand raking through her hair as she looked at her fiancé, lying in the hospital bed. He looked small. Pale. Bruised and battered.

But he was alive.

She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as the monitors beeped and whirred around him. Kate moved forward, to his side, and brushed her hand gently through his hair.

Despite his appearance, it seemed as though he was in a peaceful slumber, and for that, she was grateful. She bent to press her lips to his forehead and watched as a tear fell from her cheek to land on his.

He was alive. So beautifully alive.

"When's he going to wake up?" Kate asked the nurse as the woman checked the monitor beside his bed.

"It all depends, honey. He should be awake by morning, but I don't want you to be worried if he's not. Sometimes these things take time."

Kate nodded as the nurse bustled around her, fiddling with the IV on Rick's arm and checking the dressing on his shoulder.

"You need anything at all, hit the call button on the bed and I'll come on back," the woman said as she rested a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder.

Kate thanked her and moved her chair closer to the bed. She didn't want to take her eyes off of Rick for even a second. She pulled her legs up, rested her head on her knees and squeezed his hand gently.

His fingers were so cold. She cupped them in her hands and tried to rub warmth back into them. No matter how hard she tried, the purple tinge wouldn't go away. That's when she realized – the coloring wasn't just due to the cold – his hand was one, solid bruise.

She closed her eyes as she tried to block out the thoughts of what he must have endured. The pain he had experienced. The fear.

She knew torture. She'd been through it before, but it had been nothing compared to this. Kate hated that she hadn't found him sooner. She hated that he'd had to stand up to Tyson on his own.

She should have found him sooner. She should have been better than Tyson.

Kate silently berated herself for her failures, for not going with Rick to get their wedding license filed. For being separated from him. For not finding him sooner. She didn't know if she'd ever get over that. She didn't know if she'd ever forgive herself for what he'd gone through.

He wouldn't blame her. She knew that. Her Rick would be more worried about her state of mind. He'd be concerned about her. Of that she was positive.

He was the most kind-hearted, warm, loving, jovial, sweetest man she knew. And he'd had to go through hell.

She watched as his chest rose and fell with each labored breath he took. It was the only thing that proved to her he was alive. Kate closed her eyes and listened to the sound of his breathing, rested her hand over his heart. She felt the steady beat, and it gave her a sense of strength.

Exhaustion washed over her and sleep swept Kate away before she could even attempt to fight it. Her hand never left Rick's, while her other arm had wrapped gently around his chest. It was hard to tell where one ended and the other began, but that was normal. They were as good as one, and sleep didn't change that. They were drawn together.

When Kate woke, there was light pouring in through the blinds. She blinked Rick into focus; he was still unmoving with the exception of the rise and fall of his chest. She tenderly brushed the hair back from his eyes and hoped that her touch would be enough to open his eyes. It wasn't.

A new nurse walked into the room and smiled at her. "Oh good, you're up. I'm Sherry and I'll be Mister Castle's day nurse. Can I bring you some breakfast?"

Kate shook her head. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten, but she knew she wasn't hungry. "How is he?"

"He made it through the night with no problems. The doctor will be in later to check on him and to decide if he'll be able to move into a regular room this afternoon." Sherry moved to the opposite side of the bed and drew a vial of blood. "Just to run a couple of tests," she assured Kate at her look.

"Shouldn't he be awake by now?" Kate asked as she fought against the fear that clawed at her insides. He was alive, why wasn't he awake?

Sherry cast her a sympathetic look. "We'd hoped he would be. But don't worry, Dear. He's been through a lot. His body needs to heal."

Kate nodded as she absentmindedly traced circles on Rick's hand with her thumb.

"Why don't you go for a walk? Stretch your legs," Sherry suggested. "I know there are some people in the waiting room who'd like to see you."

Kate felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't meant to stay the whole night with Rick. She knew Martha and Alexis needed to see him too, she just hated to be separated from him after everything.

"I tell you what," Sherry began when she saw the dilemma written plainly on Kate's face. "After you go stretch your legs and see your family, I'll talk to Doctor Michaels and see if we can make an exception to the one family member rule for today. Okay?"

Kate smiled weakly as she rose. "Thank you." She paused to squeeze Rick's hand. "I'll be back soon," she promised him quietly.

She was surprised to find the whole group gathered in the waiting room. It had expanded to include her father and Captain Gates as well as Jenny Ryan. Her heart swelled with gratitude at the sight of all of them – even the Captain.

"How is he?" Alexis asked as she jumped off of the couch and ran over to meet Kate.

"Stable," Kate sighed. "He still hasn't woken up though." She reached forward and drew Alexis in for a hug. The young girl was a piece of her father, and Kate needed the contact.

"Have you been here all night?" Kate asked over Alexis' head.

Everyone nodded.

"We wanted to be here if you needed anything," Lanie said simply.

Kate blinked back tears. Her friends, her family, were just what she needed.

"Brought you some coffee," Esposito offered her a to-go cup from her favorite shop. "We were plotting ways to get it to you."

She smiled.

Lanie rolled her eyes. "The boys were going to try to steal scrubs and pose as doctors."

Lanie's words had the desired effect. Kate let out a short laugh and felt some of the weight lift from her shoulders. "You guys couldn't have pulled it off."

Ryan frowned at her. "Sure we could have. We were gonna put Alexis in a wheelchair. She was the patient. It would have been very convincing."

Alexis laughed now too. "I'm glad you came out so we didn't have to resort to that."

"Same here. I wouldn't have wanted to arrest two of my detectives for impersonating doctors," Captain Gates teased, getting in on the joke now too.

"Thanks, guys," Kate said softly. "I couldn't have made it through this without you."

Kate led Martha and Alexis back to Rick's room, and still, he didn't wake. The three women spent the day talking to Rick and reading to him in the hopes that something, anything would get him to open his eyes.

By dinnertime, Martha and Alexis had decided to go home for the evening so they could rest, but Kate refused to leave. She'd asked for them to bring her a change of clothes and a few choice items when they returned in the morning. She didn't want to miss the moment he woke up. She didn't want to leave him alone.

When Doctor Michaels made his final round of the evening, Kate was frantic. The longer Rick slept, the more worried she became. He was supposed to be awake. She didn't understand.

"Some patients take longer than others," Doctor Michaels assured her with a smile as he made his way out the door. "Just be patient."

Ha. Easier said than done.

Kate settled into the chair next to Rick's bed and linked her fingers with his. She took her free hand and carded it through his hair before she leaned forward and brushed his forehead with a soft kiss.

"Rick you need to wake up. Please. Wake up."

Her only answer was the steady rise and fall of his chest. Kate blinked back her tears as she pulled out her well-worn copy of _Heat Wave_. "I'm gonna read to you. This is one of my favorites…it's helped me through some tough times." She paused for effect, like Rick would have. "It was always the same for her when she arrived to meet the body," she read and then lifted her eyes to see if he would react. He didn't, so she continued.

Kate read to her fiancé well into the night, until she finally fell asleep with her head on the book, hand still wrapped in his.

Two more days passed like this. They moved Rick into a regular room, out of the ICU, but he still didn't wake up. They developed a routine. Martha and Alexis kept Kate company during the day with the occasional visits from the boys and Lanie, and Kate stayed alone with him all night. No one could convince Kate to leave – she didn't want to miss the moment Rick opened his eyes.

When Kate was alone once again, she decided to change her tactics. She had been reading _Heat Wave_, but she thought it was her turn to try her hand at story telling.

"Okay, Rick. I don't have your talent with words, so you're gonna have to bear with me. Heat and Rook are great, but I'm going to tell you a story about another writer/cop duo who are pretty close to my heart. It all started six years ago. I've never told you this before, but you were one of my favorite authors long before I had the uh, pleasure, of meeting you that first time. Your books helped me through my mother's murder. You were her favorite author, and I guess, after she was killed, reading your books helped me feel closer to her. So, what I'm saying is, you were right. Yes, I'm actually admitting you were right. Try not to gloat. Despite the fact that you were a pompous ass when I arrested you, there was a part of me that had already fallen for you. I just didn't want to admit it to myself."

The hand she was holding twitched slightly and she froze. Rick blinked his eyes open slowly and she saw the twinkle of humor, despite the wince of pain at the effort.

"Rick! Oh thank you." Kate leaned forward and kissed him gently.

"I always knew you fell for me first," he whispered, his voice gravelly from lack of use.

She laughed as tears streamed down her face. "That would be the part you focus on," Kate rolled her eyes, but smiled at him. "I'm so glad you're awake. I thought - " Her voice broke with her sob.

"Hey," he said. "It's gonna take more than Tyson to keep me away from you." He didn't tell her how scared he'd been that Tyson would kill him before Kate found him. How scared he'd been that he would never be able to call her his wife. How scared he'd been that she would lose someone else she loved. She didn't need to know that. Not now.

Kate leaned forward and rested her forehead on his and she caught the wince he tried to cover up. "How's your pain level? I can call a nurse."

He still looked so small. So pale. So bruised and battered. And the pain was evident in his eyes.

But he was alive. And now, he was awake. Kate swelled with relief at the sight of his deep blue eyes blinking up at her.

"I'm okay," Rick said bravely. "I can handle it."

She surveyed him a moment, trying to decide how much he should have to handle when a new nurse bustled in.

"Ah, Mister Castle, how nice of you to join us," she smiled at him.

Kate moved to the side so the woman could get to the monitor by his bed, but Rick tightened his grip on her hand. "Kate, don't leave," he practically begged, fear of separation evident in his eyes.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she promised. She wasn't going anywhere.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews! I can't even express my gratitude to all of you lovely people. Thank you for making me smile, for giving me another reason to enjoy writing, and for all of your support. Special thanks to __**burningxredxcaskett **__for her read through and constant help. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!_

Chapter 9.

Recovery proved harder than Rick or Kate had anticipated.

Each day brought new challenges, new pains, and more frustrations for Rick, and Kate had to put forth a great deal of effort to keep his spirits high.

Not that she was bothered by this. Not at all. But it was a daily struggle. The man who had been the positive one, the man who always seemed to see the glass as half full, the man who always saw life as magical was suddenly quiet, more reserved, and clearly having difficulty accepting the fact that he needed so much help. He was used to taking care of those around him, not being helpless.

"Kate, I'm fine. I don't need to walk," he argued at the end of his first week in the hospital. He had just received the news that he had a minimum of one more week in the hospital and to say he wasn't pleased was an understatement.

Kate rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Babe, the doctor wants you to get up and move around. He said it'll help with your healing."

"I know what he said," Rick grumbled, making a point to stare at his feet. "But I don't feel like it."

He was getting harder to reach, and Kate was running out of ideas. She'd resorted to bribery, tried reasoning with him, tried to get Alexis to talk to him, but nothing worked. Rick was shutting down before her very eyes, and it was breaking her heart.

"I'm gonna go get us some coffee," Kate said as she stood and squeezed his hand. "I'll be back soon." She leaned forward and kissed him softly.

Rick just closed his eyes. "Take your time. Not like I can go anywhere."

Kate moved towards the door, not wanting to leave him, but knowing she would be no help to anyone without some caffeine in her system. With one last look towards her fiancé who was quite obviously faking sleep, she closed the door.

She leaned against it and closed her own eyes. She had to come up with a way to reach him. He'd barely spoken since his joking upon waking up and had grown steadily crankier and more upset with each passing day. Kate just wanted to reach him. She wanted to get him to talk to her so she knew what was going on in his head. But for once in his life, the man who usually was filled with words was silent. She sighed, took a deep breath, and pushed away from the door.

Caffeine first, then, then she could tackle helping her fiancé. She only hoped the simple gesture would have the same effect on him that it had always had on her. She just wanted to see him smile.

An hour had passed by the time Kate returned to the hospital. She'd run home to get Rick's Xbox on her way to Remy's to get him a burger and shake before she made her final stop for their coffees. She hoped it would be a welcome surprise. After all, it had been over a week since Rick had been able to have a cheeseburger, and they were his favorite.

One of these things should give him a reason to a smile. Or so she hoped.

Kate was so lost in her thoughts and plans of how to give her fiancé hope that she almost missed the nurses running down the hallway. She didn't think anything of it, this was a common occurrence. But as she moved closer and closer to Rick's room she saw it was open and watched as a new nurse ran and disappeared through the door, right before his bed was wheeled out, and they ran him down the hallway.

She never thought she'd experience a higher level of fear than when Rick had been shot. But this fear was nearly crippling. She didn't think, she just ran after them.

She got to the door at the end of the hallway just as someone threw it closed. Kate stopped it with her hand as she fought against the wave of panic that coursed through her veins.

"What's going on?"

"Ma'am, I'm gonna have to ask you to wait outside," the woman said, frustration leaking into her voice.

"I'm his fiancé. What's going on?" Kate demanded, tears trickling down her face when she realized the bed had disappeared down one of the many hallways and she could no longer see him.

"I'll let you know what I can, when I can," the woman offered more gently this time, and slammed the door.

She was only gone an hour. She let him out of her sight for one hour, and now...What had happened?

Kate stood with her face pressed up against the glass window. She couldn't see anything though; they were gone. He was gone.

It was the longest wait of her life. She'd thought that when they first arrived at the hospital a week earlier, but this was worse. She'd seen him alive a short time ago, and now, now she didn't know what had happened.

This was all her fault. She left him alone. If she'd been in there with him -

Kate stopped herself. She didn't want to think about what could possibly have happened. Not until she knew for sure.

"Ms. Beckett?" Doctor Michaels called from the doorway.

Kate moved to the man almost instantaneously. "What happened? Is Rick okay?"

The tears flowed freely now, and she didn't even bother to wipe them away. She was terrified, and the blank look on the doctor's face did nothing to soothe her. She knew that look. She had given victim's families that look when she had to tell them -

"He's going to be okay," Doctor Michaels said quietly, interrupting her thoughts.

_OhthankGod._

Kate dropped her head to her hands and wept. Relief swept through her body, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.

Doctor Michaels waited until she'd cried herself out before he spoke again. "He did give us quite the scare though. He suffered a relatively small brain hemorrhage."

When Kate didn't say anything he continued.

"He suffered through quite a bit of head trauma before he arrived here, and while it appeared to us as though he only had a minor concussion, there was swelling that occurred. It happened slowly, over the last week, which is why we didn't catch it sooner."

"Shouldn't that have shown up on his CT?" Kate asked, furious that the doctors could have missed such a thing.

"Unfortunately, the swelling was minimal enough in the beginning that it didn't appear as though there was anything unusual on his scans. We were able to rush him into surgery where our Chief of staff, who is also our best neurosurgeon was able to alleviate the swelling and prevent him from losing any blood."

"Did he - does he have any brain damage?" Her voice shook, and she almost didn't want to hear the answer.

"It doesn't appear that he does. Everything is functioning as it should. I just want you to know that this swelling could have attributed to the change in mood you told me about. When he wakes up, it is my hope that Mister Castle's mood will go back to normal. He'll just have to suffer through a bit more pain as well as physical therapy, but there should be no lasting damages."

Kate nodded numbly. Two hours ago she'd talked to him. Two hours ago he'd been suffering and she hadn't known. She should have tried harder to figure out what was wrong. She should have - "

"They should have him in recovery by now. Would you like me to take you back?"

She nodded again and followed the white of Doctor Michaels' coat, barely noticing where they were going. Just knowing she needed to see him. She needed the assurance that Rick was alive.

She'd thought they were past this. Past the worry that he was okay. Past wondering if he was alive behind closed doors. But here she was again.

Here she was again - standing outside of a door, desperate to see his deep blue eyes twinkling up at her. Desperate for a sign that he was alive and would be okay.

Kate followed Doctor Michaels into the room and felt the tears well up in her eyes at the sight of a bandage wrapped around Rick's head.

She practically flew to his bedside and rested a hand over his heart. She felt the familiar beat, and watched as her hand rose and fell with his chest.

He was still alive.

"When's he going to wake up?" Kate asked tearfully.

"Again, it depends. I know that's not what you want to hear, but brain injuries are difficult to assess. I'll let you stay in here with him and have someone call your family for you."

Kate didn't even look up when he left the room.

She knew his behavior over the last week wasn't like him. She should have pressed the issue more with Doctor Michaels. She should have seen this coming.

A voice that sounded much like Rick's argued with her in her head. "But how could you have known? You're not a doctor."

Kate sighed. She was so desperate to hear his voice that she was now having arguments with him. In her head. She sounded crazy.

When Martha and Alexis arrived a short time later, they were brought to Kate so she could tell them what had happened and give them the reassurance that he would be okay even though she didn't quite believe it herself. The three women sat in the room together, in silence, none of them sure how to comfort the others, until Alexis dozed off in the chair on the other side of Rick's bed.

"Why don't you take her home," Kate suggested to Martha, who looked at her, as though deciding whether she should be left alone.

Martha stood and walked over to envelop Kate in a hug. "He's going to be okay, I can feel it in my bones."

Kate nodded into Martha's shoulder and allowed her tears to fall onto her almost mother-in-law's shoulder. It was times like this when Kate realized how much she missed her mother's hugs.

"You'll let us know if you need anything?" Martha asked as she pulled away and made her way over to help pull her exhausted granddaughter to her feet.

"Thanks, Martha." Kate gave the older woman her best, albeit weak smile as the redheads left the room.

She curled back into her seat next to Rick's bed and leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips.

"If I said I believed in magic, in miracles, would you wake up, Rick?"

Her only answer was a soft, barely audible snore.

"You're my everyday magic. You're the miracle I didn't realize I wanted or needed. You are the one who's given me hope, who's given me love, who's given me always. I love you so much. Please. Please wake up soon."

With that last plea, Kate entwined her hand with his, rested her head on the bed next to his shoulder and promptly succumbed to sleep.

"Kate," he whispered.

She thought she was dreaming. It was so nice to hear his voice. Even though it had just been a few hours she missed the sound of his voice.

"Kate," his whisper was more insistent this time.

But when she felt the slight pressure in her hand, she realized she wasn't dreaming. Kate shot up and looked into the tired eyes of the man she loved more than life itself.

"Hey blue eyes."

_This was one of those cases where the story developed a mind of it's own! I hadn't planned on this chapter going this way, but, well, there it is. I hope I didn't stress anyone out too much! If there are any inaccuracies in the medical information, I apologize! I tried to research some, but I'm most definitely not a doctor! Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	10. Chapter 10

_Over 200 reviews - wow! Thanks so much everyone! You all continue to be amazing! Special thanks to **burningxredxcaskett** for the read through! Hope you all enjoy this one…_

Chapter 10.

"What happened?" Rick asked quietly, as though unsure whether or not his voice would work.

"There was a complication from the head trauma you experienced. You had a brain hemorrhage, so they had to rush you into surgery. I was only gone for an hour. I came back and they were rushing you down the hall." Her voice broke and she stopped for a moment to collect herself, though not bothering to hide the tears that were running down her cheeks.

"Why were you here?" he asked.

Kate's heart stopped at the simple question. "What do you mean?"

"We had a fight. I told you to stop investigating. You said no, so I said I was done. I thought we were done."

Tears prickled the creases in Kate's eyes. He was alive, but he didn't remember the last two years?

No.

It wasn't fair.

They'd been through too much.

They'd -

She stopped when she saw the familiar twinkle in his eyes.

"Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle, are you actually teasing me right now?" she demanded, willing it to be true.

He let out a low chuckle and flashed the smile she'd missed so much the last week. The one reserved just for her.

"You said brain injury and I couldn't resist," he said as his smile faltered at her face.

She moved forward and smacked his good arm playfully. She couldn't even find it in her to be mad. She was too happy he was alive and smiling again. "You're so damn lucky I'm too relieved that you're alive and know who I am to be very mad." Kate leaned forward to kiss him and buried her head into his neck as best she could. "I was so scared, Rick."

The tears flowed freely, soaking his hospital gown.

He winced as he tried to raise his arm to stroke her back.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I'll do my best not to scare you again."

Kate looked up into his eyes. "Good. Because you promised me always. And I plan on holding you to it. I already told you, I'm kinda looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you, so you have to stay safe."

Rick kissed her hair. "I promise to try, as long as you promise the same thing. I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you too."

She just nodded. The relief was all consuming. He was going to be okay.

His eyes fluttered shut before he snapped them open so he could look at Kate again. She looked exhausted, as though she hadn't slept all week. Knowing his Detective, she hadn't. She'd been too worried about him.

"Why don't we sleep, Kate," he said, his voice conveying a similar feeling.

Kate rubbed a hand absentmindedly over his chest. "You go ahead, I'm just gonna sit here for awhile."

"Gonna watch me sleep? Because I have it on good authority that it's creepy, Detective." His eyes twinkled with their joke.

She shrugged and grinned at him. "What can I say? It's calming." Kate paused for a moment, then worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"What is it?" concern crept into his voice.

"I just - I need the reassurance that you're alive," she whispered as a lone tear slid down her cheek.

Rick closed his eyes in understanding. He was familiar with the feeling. He'd felt the same way after her run in with Vulcan Simmons. He hadn't let her out of his sight for days. He understood.

He patted the bed next to him and winced as he moved over to make room for her. She furrowed her brow as she watched him.

"Rick, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I don't want to - "

"Please." His one word and the pain between his own eyes had her halting her protest and climbing into the bed.

She rested her head on his good shoulder and pressed her hand over his heart. His heartbeat was steady, familiar, and comforting. He always knew what she needed.

It was as much for him as it was for her. Rick ran his hand through her hair and whispered, "I love you."

He barely heard her response of, "I love you too," before they both slipped away into sleep.

It was the first time since Rick's abduction and shooting that Kate didn't dream. It was the first time her sleep wasn't interrupted by her own screams or his murmuring. It was the first time she'd been able to sleep in the bed next to her fiancé.

She'd missed his comforting arm wrapped around her body. She'd missed the tiny snore he only did when he was completely and utterly exhausted. She'd missed his warm body pressed against hers. She'd missed _him_.

Kate woke to the sound of a light tapping at the door. She shifted in the bed and saw Alexis peering through the gap between door and wall. She looked over and saw that Rick was still asleep, so she gestured to the younger girl, indicating she should follow her into the hallway.

"Doctor Michaels called us and said that he woke up," Alexis said quickly before Kate could open her mouth to speak.

She nodded. "Yeah, he did. I'm sorry. I should have called, but I fell asleep..."

"It's okay. I understand how tired you've been. How is he?"

Kate sighed. "Well you know your father. The minute I mentioned a head injury, he ran with it."

At Alexis' questioning glance she hastily continued. "He had me thinking he couldn't remember the last two years. He wanted to know why I was here when we weren't even talking."

Alexis gaped at her. "You're joking."

Kate shook her head. "Nope. He thought he was being funny. If I wasn't so relieved he really did remember, I probably would have strangled him."

Alexis rolled her eyes in a very Kate-like fashion. "He never has been good at timing his jokes." She paused. "You know he was probably just trying to cope with everything, right?"

"Yeah. I'm not mad at him. Don't worry," Kate assured her. "Where's your grandmother?" she asked, just realizing the older woman was nowhere to be found.

"She went to get you coffee."

Kate was filled with emotion at the kindness of her soon to be mother in law. Martha's motherly gestures still caught her off guard, but they were always welcome.

"Have you seen Lanie?" Alexis asked suddenly as she glanced around.

"No. Why?"

"I ran into her in the parking lot. She said she was coming by to check on you and Dad."

Kate looked around the hallway as though her best friend would magically appear before her eyes. "I wonder where she went."

Alexis shrugged. "Maybe she went to talk to the doctor or something."

Martha rounded the corner and smiled at the sight of her two girls standing in the hallway. "Coffees all around, my Darlings. It's a good day today," she said as she passed the drinks to Alexis and pulled Kate into a hug. "My son is awake and doing well. It's a good day."

Kate nodded and gratefully accepted her coffee as they moved to enter the room.

Rick was still asleep. Kate wrestled with the fear that filled her at the sight of him, still in a hospital bed, looking so small and pale. He woke up last night, he would do it again. He was just tired. But the fear was still there. She didn't think it was going anywhere for awhile. Not until she was absolutely certain nothing else would go wrong.

She moved back to her chair while Martha and Alexis pulled two more chairs close to the other side of the bed. The three were quiet, all watching the man who was normally so full of life sleep before them.

"He looks so small, doesn't he?" Alexis whispered suddenly. "He normally looks so big - but now, now he just looks..." she trailed off.

"Fragile?" Martha supplied as she linked hands with her granddaughter.

Alexis nodded and Kate rubbed her eyes to hide the tears. She needed to be strong for them.

He was okay. She just needed to concentrate on that fact. He was okay.

Rick stirred slightly, his hand searching the bed next to him for Kate. She reached forward and rubbed her thumb soothingly over the back of his hand and his eyes opened slowly.

"Where'd you go?" he asked sleepily.

She turned his attention to the other two women in his life and he smiled. "Hey there."

"Hi, Dad," Alexis said quietly and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm okay, Pumpkin. Don't worry," he assured his daughter.

She nodded and buried her head in his chest, careful to avoid his bullet wound and he stroked her hair.

There was a light tap at the door and Lanie poked her head in.

"Hey Writer Man, good to see you awake!"

"Good to be awake," he smiled over at her.

"Kate, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lanie asked and Kate nodded.

She bent over Alexis to kiss her fiancé, "Be right back," she told him.

He looked suspiciously back and forth between the women and gave a half-hearted nod, the pout at not being included evident on his face. Kate kissed him again and whispered that she would fill him in when she could. He smiled smugly.

Kate closed the door behind her and turned to face her friend.

"What's up, Lanie?"

Lanie took a deep breath. "I found something interesting in Tyson's autopsy."

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	11. Chapter 11

_You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for your continued support. I'm sorry this chapter has taken me longer. I lost my Great Grandmother this weekend, and the words just haven't flowed. A sentence here, a paragraph there has been all I could manage at a time. I hope you all are still with me! Special thanks to__** cassiecastle47**__ for the plot reassurance and to __**burningxredxcaskett**__ for being my second set of eyes, and for helping me through this weekend. __**Peytiepoo95**__, I love you like crazy girl. __**GG**__ – This one's for you. Thank you for showing me that with love, anything is possible. I love and miss you so much!_

Chapter 11.

"What do you – what do you mean?" the room spun slightly as Kate fought to keep her attention focused on her friend. What did she mean? Was it not Tyson? Was he still out there? Were they still safe? A wave of panic crashed over her and Kate saw stars as her breathing became shallow.

"Kate. Kate, look at me." Lanie came into focus in front of her and Kate looked up.

He couldn't still be out there. She'd shot him. Three times. In the head. There was no vest to protect him this time. There was no –

The hallway swam and she felt Lanie's arms holding her up.

"Kate, I need you to listen to me. Breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Focus on your breathing. I don't want you passing out on me."

Kate did as she was told. In. Out. In. Out.

The stars started to dissipate. She focused on the brown of Lanie's eyes.

In. Out.

"Is it – Is he?" she stammered. She had to focus on breathing.

"He's really dead, Kate. It's him."

Kate trembled with relief. "Then why did you scare me?"

Lanie had the good grace to look chastened. "Sorry girl, I didn't mean to. But there was something I found."

"Just tell me what it was." She was exhausted now. Her sudden panic attack had taken more out of her than she cared to admit. She just wanted to know what had her friend looking at her like this. Like Tyson was going to return from the dead.

If it were any other person, she would have laughed at the thought. Rick loved zombies and the undead. He would love to speculate and theorize, and just generally drive her crazy. But this was Tyson they were talking about. With this man it seemed like anything was possible, so no, it wouldn't be funny to joke about.

"Tyson had an aneurism in his heart. We don't know if he knew or not, but if he hadn't gotten to surgery soon, it's clear this would have killed him."

"An aneurism?" Kate asked blankly as she tried to get her brain to catch up with the news.

Lanie nodded. "Yeah. It's a - "

"I know what an aneurism is," Kate interrupted. She raked a hand through her hair. "But, do you think he knew? Do you think that's why he chose now?"

Lanie just shrugged. "Javi and Kevin are trying to find out. They found his address from his phone, so they're sweeping it now."

"Why didn't they call me? I could have - "

She paused at Lanie's look and leaned back into the wall.

Lanie walked over and rested her hand on her friend's arm. "Kate, you've got enough on your plate right now without worrying about Tyson. The boys will keep you in the loop. I promise. Right now, you need to be here for Castle. This is your place, Kate. Trust us. We'll figure this out for you, and when we do, you and Castle will be the first to know."

Kate couldn't speak for a moment. She pulled Lanie in for a hug. When they finally broke apart, she looked her friend in the eye and said, "I trust you. You three are the only people aside from myself and Rick that I would trust to investigate this."

Lanie smiled and squeezed her hand. "Now go on in there and see your man. I'll call you as soon as we know anything."

"Thanks, Lanie."

She turned and opened the door to see her fiancé looking at her questioning glance. Kate shook her head slightly to indicate that they would talk later, when they were alone. He looked as though he was going to question her, but thought better of it when he saw her face. This was something Alexis and Martha didn't need to hear yet.

The two women studied Kate as she sat down, but she smiled at them and took Rick's hand in hers before asking, "So, what'd I miss?"

They spent the afternoon listening to Alexis' tales of her classes, and Martha's stories of Rick's childhood.

"He just had the cutest tushie I ever saw," she told them much to Rick's embarrassment.

Kate had smiled at this and fixed Rick with a grin that clearly said, that's still the case. Alexis had groaned dramatically and declared that she didn't need to hear anything about her father's tushie then or now.

With their laughter and joking, they were almost able to forget they were in the hospital. Almost.

Rick fell asleep at various points in their conversations and when he woke, he tried to make it seem as though he knew what they were talking about. It was a testament to how glad they were to have him joking with sparkling eyes that none of the women argued with him.

They were just happy he was okay.

A nurse came in and checked Rick's vitals and asked him about his pain. He shrugged it off, but Kate saw what he was trying to hide.

"Rick, it's not going to do you any good to keep quiet. You need to tell them when you're in pain."

He sighed and nodded. "My head and shoulder are killing me."

"That's to be expected," the nurse said as she moved to his side. "I'll give you some morphine. You were due for more anyway." She slowly injected the morphine into the IV as the three women watched Rick's eyes go slightly foggy.

The nurse finished the injection and turned to address Kate before she left. "Just let me know if any of you need anything else."

Kate thanked her and they watched her leave.

"Hey," Rick said sleepily and smiled at his fiancé, daughter and mother. "Know what? I feel heavy. And warm. Like the sun!" He grinned at them. "You are my sunshines, my only sunshines, you make me ha-ppy, when skies are grey! You'll never know dearrrrrrs, how much I love you. So please don't take my sunshines away!"

Kate, Martha, and Alexis muffled their laughter at Rick's impromptu singing.

"He used to sing that to me when I was little." Alexis squeezed her father's hand as he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. She leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. "It's the first song I ever learned how to sing."

Kate looked at her sleeping fiancé and over at her soon to be stepdaughter. She could suddenly picture singing the song to_ their_ children. She doubted Rick would remember his little serenade when he woke up, but she would remind him. She didn't want to waste anymore time. She wanted children. She was ready. They were ready. (Well, they would be as soon as Rick was healed.)

Martha and Alexis kept Kate company a little while longer before deciding it was time to go home. They left with the promise that they would return first thing in the morning with coffee and bearclaws. Kate hugged the two women goodbye and was once again left with a feeling of contentment. The feeling that their family was whole and would soon be stronger than ever.

She watched him sleep, convinced that it wasn't creepy when _she_ did it. She just needed the reassurance that he was alive, that was all. Kate brushed her fingers gently over Rick's hand and was relieved to feel that he was no longer ice cold. She rubbed her thumb in circles over his palm. The bruises were fading. They were still there, but they were lightening, and soon they would be gone. Soon everything would be back to normal, or as normal as was possible for them.

But what about Tyson's aneurism? Was this why he had come out of hiding and chosen now to make them pay? Did this have anything to do with Doctor Nieman being found dead in the car? She didn't understand how Doctor Nieman fit into the puzzle. She'd thought she was Tyson's girlfriend. Why would he kill her?

None of it made any sense.

She held her breath when he stirred. She didn't want to wake him.

His eyes remained closed and Kate allowed herself to exhale.

She closed her own eyes and took another deep breath. She was going to leave Tyson to the boys, just as she'd told Lanie she would. Tyson was dead. Rick was safe. Right now, she needed to focus on her fiancé.

Come to think of it, she didn't want to think of him as her fiancé anymore. She wanted him to be her husband.

It was time to start planning their wedding again.

It was time to finally be Mrs. Richard Castle.

_GG – you are my sunshine! Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks so much for all of your kind words and support for my Great Grandmother. You guys are too sweet! Thanks to __**burningxredxcaskett **__for the read through – don't hate me for not showing you the end!_

Chapter 12.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Kate asked as she paced back and forth in the hospital lobby. She had once again called on the expertise of her soon to be mother in law and stepdaughter to help with last minute wedding details.

She could barely hear Martha over the noise in the background.

"What was that Martha?" She checked to make sure the volume on her phone was all the way up.

_Darling, I said not to worry about a thing. Alexis and I will take care of the details. You just concentrate on getting Richard better. When you arrive here, the only detail you'll have to worry about is walking down the aisle. Oh and keeping this a surprise! _

Kate could sense Martha's grin through the phone. "Thanks, Martha. I really appreciate it. We'll see you in a few days!"

_That you will my dear. Good luck! _With that final word, Martha hung up the phone.

Kate let out a deep breath. It had been a long two weeks. Two weeks of physical therapy. Two weeks of frustration. Two weeks of exhaustion. But it was worth it. The doctor had just given Rick the okay to leave the hospital that very weekend.

The couple had been so focused on Rick's healing that they hadn't even had a spare moment to focus on their wedding details. After all of the pain Rick had been through, both physical and emotional, Kate hadn't wanted him to worry about anything. So, she had taken it upon herself (along with Martha and Alexis) to make sure that they were married sooner rather than later.

It was going to be a surprise for her fiancé, but she hoped he would be happy about it.

She walked back through the maze of hallways, to Rick's room, but he wasn't inside. Her brow furrowed in confusion, but when she turned around, she saw him walking towards her.

He had on his navy blue robe, the one that made his eyes look as deep as the ocean, and a wide, dimpled grin on his face.

"Beat my time," he beamed at her as he got closer.

Kate rolled her eyes. But she was proud, she really was.

When Rick had started his physical therapy, he could barely make it to the door of his room without getting winded. And now? Now he was taking laps around his floor, getting faster every time.

"Knew you could do it," she smiled as he reached her and pulled her in for a hug.

Rick pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Couldn't have done it without you."

She shook her head. He could have. But she was glad he didn't have to.

Kate took Rick's hand and led him back into his room.

"You know," Rick started and wiggled his eyebrows as he pulled his fiancé close. "I'm starting to feel a lot better."

He spun her around with a passionate kiss that left them both breathless when they finally broke apart. Kate staggered backwards slightly and went to rest her hand on the table beside his bed, but accidentally knocked her purse to the floor.

The contents spilled out everywhere. She bent down to put everything back inside and froze when she reached a spare tampon. Her eyes opened wide in realization as she looked at the object in her hand, then back up at her fiancé.

"What?" he asked, his mouth tilted up in amusement at the expression on her face.

"I'm late," Kate said quietly as she pushed herself to her feet.

Rick cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I thought you were here for the day. Where are you supposed to be?"

"Rick," Kate looked at him pointedly. "I'm _late_. I'm never late."

Rick's eyes widened in understanding. "Are – are you sure?"

She just looked at him. Of course she was sure.

"Okay, I guess you're sure."

"I guess with everything that happened, I just lost track of time." She was in shock. She had just decided she was ready for this, she didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Rick sat down on the hospital bed and pulled her down beside him. "Kate," he said softly, as though scared to spook her. "I know this is surprising, but, I want you to know I'm thrilled. We haven't exactly talked timeline or…" he paused, looking so –

He thought – but no. She was excited, over the moon, in fact!

"Rick. Babe, I'm excited! I'm so excited, just surprised, that's all," Kate grinned as she placed a hand on each of his cheeks so she could watch his eyes dance at her words.

And dance they did. His blue eyes shone with excitement as he pulled her in for a kiss.

"We're gonna have a baby," he whispered, completely in awe of the woman sitting in front of him.

She squeezed his hand. "I don't want you to get excited yet. We don't know for sure."

Rick bounced slightly on the bed. "So go get a test."

Kate rolled her eyes. He was such an impatient child sometimes, but the excitement on his face was catching. "I'll go run to the pharmacy downstairs and see if they have one."

She practically ran down the hallway and paused in front of the elevator. When one didn't immediately appear, she turned on her heel and headed for the stairs. She didn't have the patience for waiting at a time like this.

Barely five minutes later, she returned to Rick's room, pregnancy test in hand. "Got it," she exclaimed triumphantly as she held it up.

He stood to follow her into the bathroom, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"I wanna come," Rick whined pitifully.

But Kate stood firm. "I can handle peeing on a stick, don't worry. When I'm done, I'll come out and we can wait out the timer together. How's that sound?"

Rick pouted but sighed in defeat. "O-kay."

He paced back and forth in front of the door while he waited. When she finally came out, she held out the stick for him to see.

"It doesn't say anything yet," he said, clearly disappointed.

"It takes three minutes. Set your phone."

Three minutes seemed to take three hours as they watched the time tick past.

"We shouldn't watch it," Kate told him suddenly as she turned her head away. She felt sick to her stomach. She didn't realize how much she wanted this until it was so close she could almost touch it. She was ready to be a wife and mother.

Rick kept his eyes on her, desperate to show he could, until the timer went off.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded.

"On the count of three." Kate sighed and brought her free hand to entwine with Rick's.

"One…two…"

"Three," they said together and both turned to look at the test.

Kate felt tears prickling in her eyes, threatening to fall when she saw the results. She looked up at Rick and saw that there were tears in his eyes as well.

Rick enveloped Kate in a hug as her tears spilled down her cheeks. They both turned to the readout again, hardly able to believe their eyes.

_Pregnant._

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	13. Chapter 13

_You guys are amazing! I can't thank you enough for all of the story love. Every review, pm, and favorite make me smile, so thank you! Special thanks __**to burningxredxcaskett**__. To put it simply, I don't know what I'd do without you! Hope you all enjoy this next chapter…_

Chapter 13.

_Pregnant._

One word never seemed so magical. But it was – it was pure magic, and everything Kate had never truly known she'd wanted. Not until him.

"We're gonna have a baby," he whispered in her ear, and Kate grinned.

"We are. Did you ever really think we'd get here?" she asked quietly.

Something flashed across his eyes. Distress? But it was quickly masked with another glimmer of happiness. But she hadn't misread him. Something had been there.

"Rick?" Kate turned in his lap so she could see him better. "Talk to me."

He stared at her a moment, eyes clouded once again, his lips in a tight line.

"If you would have asked me that before our wedding day, it would have been a resounding yes. I've known for some time that we would not only end up together, but we would raise a family together as well. But after Tyson," Rick paused and his eyes swam with tears. "Part of me thought that no matter how hard I fought or how desperately you searched for me, it was the end."

Kate closed her eyes and gripped Rick's hands tightly in her own. It hit her all over again just how close she'd come to losing him. Too close. She never wanted to come that close again. "Rick - "

He placed a hand gently on her cheek. "Just let me finish," Rick told her softly. "In those moments, it was thoughts of you, and the children I wanted us to have that kept me fighting. I prayed we'd get the chance for our three children."

She laughed at this. Leave it to Rick to bring up the musings of a crazy man who thought he was a time traveler.

"Then you came through that door and I realized we still had a shot."

"And now look at us," Kate added, wiping away the lone tear that had slipped down his cheek at the thoughts of what Tyson had put him through.

"It's a miracle."

"Some might say magic," she winked at his surprised expression.

"Magic, Detective? I thought you didn't believe in magic."

She smiled. "I believe in the everyday magic, remember? And if everything that we've been through and survived doesn't point to that – well then I don't know what to tell you."

Rick pulled her into his chest and she buried her face in his good shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her hair and held up the pregnancy test with his free hand.

"We need to frame this or something."

Kate wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Rick. I peed on that stick. We don't need to save it."

He jutted his lip out pitifully. "But Kate…"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "We can frame the first ultrasound photo. Hell, we can frame a copy of the blood work that confirms this, but we will not frame a stick that I've peed on."

One look at her face had him convinced she wasn't going to budge on the subject. "Okay. Fine," he sighed. "But we will frame a copy of the blood work!"

Kate just rolled her eyes and pitched the test into the trash, much to Rick's chagrin.

The knock on the door startled them and Kate was glad she'd thrown away the test when she did. She was definitely not ready to share their news with anyone yet.

Ryan and Esposito poked their heads in.

"How's it going bro?" Esposito asked as he came over to sit next to Rick when Kate nodded them in.

"Getting there. I beat my floor lap time this morning," he told them proudly.

Ryan narrowed his eyes in question, but seemed to think better of asking what the writer meant. "Can we uh, talk to you for a minute?" he asked Kate.

Rick opened his mouth to protest, but Kate laid a comforting hand on his leg to stop him. "It's okay guys. I've filled him in. He needs to hear everything, hell he deserves to know."

Esposito and Ryan shared a quick look before the Latino detective gave a small go-ahead nod to his partner.

"Tyson kept a journal," Ryan began.

"It's a bit scattered," his partner added.

"But we were able to piece a bunch of it together." Ryan paused again and Kate looked at the two men expectantly.

"Well?" she asked. "What did you piece together?"

Esposito took the lead this time. "He knew he had the aneurism. Doctor Nieman found it when he started having chest pain, but he wouldn't let her do anything about it."

"He refused to have it operated on. That was the only thing that would have saved him, but he wanted to see if he could – well, win," the Irish detective added.

"Win?" Rick questioned, clearly puzzled.

Ryan nodded. "He wanted to see how long he could last. When Nieman tried to make him have the operation, he decided he didn't need her anymore."

"He came up with the idea to off her in his plot to destroy you two," Esposito cut in again. "Tyson wanted his last hurrah, his word not mine, to be destroying the two of you. And since Nieman wanted him to have surgery, and recovery time, and the potential to die before he finished his mission, she had to go."

"Just because she wanted to help him?" It still shocked Kate to the core that Tyson could be so _cold_. Cold didn't even cut it. Tyson was a sick psychopath who got off on the torture of others. She was glad she was the one to end his life. Simple as that. She would do it again in a heartbeat.

Ryan nodded again.

"He's been plotting this for awhile," Esposito said before his partner could open his mouth. "Months. He still managed to have you under surveillance. He's followed the two of you around. Even when you were in DC, Beckett."

Rick and Kate shuddered at the thought. They'd thought they had gotten away from Tyson, but he had been there. Every step of their engagement. Every decision, every moment. He'd witnessed everything. And it chilled them straight to the bone.

Suddenly, realization dawned on Rick. "Rogan? The fire at our venue?"

"Both Tyson," Ryan told them with a grimace. "He plotted the whole thing guys. He put you right where he wanted you."

Kate ran a shaky hand through her hair. "I wasn't really married?"

Esposito shook his head. "He paid Rogan off. We found the money trail. He somehow managed to forge a marriage license. Every moment of that was carefully orchestrated. Well, except for Rogan's other difficulties…"

"He knew he was going to die," Rick muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "And he wanted to take us down with him before he did." His breathing grew ragged. "He was really going to kill me."

Kate brushed her fingers over his chest gently in an attempt to soothe his now racing heartbeat. "Rick. Look at me." Rick closed his eyes before they sought hers. "Babe. He didn't. You're still here and Tyson isn't. We beat him. Together."

His breathing slowed slightly and his eyes searched her face again. As though he still didn't quite believe it.

Ryan and Esposito shared a look before they each moved closer to the bed.

"He's gone, man," Ryan told his friend. "I can promise you that."

When Rick didn't speak, the detectives patted Kate on the back and nodded to the writer reassuringly. Kate thanked them and watched her brothers walk through the door.

They'd given them piece of mind. Tyson was a sick man, but now at least they had the answers. Rick really was her one and done. She hadn't been married before. And it was over.

"Rick," Kate said quietly, not wanting to startle him.

His eyes darted to hers.

"It's really over. We beat Tyson together."

"Together," Rick echoed as he searched her face for confirmation.

Kate smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "Always."

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen_


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank you to all of you wonderful people. Your reviews continue to make me smile and make even the bad days bright. This story has had its fair share of angst, and here's a warning for you. This chapter is fluff. I needed a little fluff in my life and figured I would share. I hope that's okay! As always, thank you to __**burningxredxcaskett**__. You rock, my friend. _

Chapter 14.

"Ready to get out of here?" Kate asked as they finished signing Rick's release papers and a wheelchair was brought in.

"Definitely. I can't wait to go home. But really. Is this wheelchair necessary? I can walk on my own. You know I tripled my original walk time."

Kate rolled her eyes at her man-child. "Yes. You know it's hospital policy, Babe."

Rick grumbled under his breath but slid into the waiting chair. Truth be told, it would take more than being forced into a wheelchair to ruin his day. He was finally free. Finally healthy enough to leave the confines of the hospital and go home with his fiancé. It was time to make her his wife. He just had to figure out how best to broach the subject. Kate hadn't really discussed their wedding since he'd been in the hospital. Whenever he brought it up she told him their main goal was to get him healthy. Everything else could wait.

The thing was though, everything else couldn't wait. If his encounter with Jerry Tyson had been anything to go by, he didn't want to waste another moment. You never could be sure what life would throw your way and he didn't want there to be even the smallest possibility that something could happen to him without Kate being his wife.

He barely registered the walls of the hospital passing him by, and before he knew it, they were sitting in front of his SUV. Perks of being a multi-millionaire, he mused. If one car was burned to ashes, there was always another to take it's place.

"You okay?" Kate asked cautiously, as she opened the passenger door.

Rick nodded. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"Life. Not wanting it to pass us by. Not wanting to waste another - "

"Rick," she interrupted and knelt down on the ground next to his wheelchair before he had a chance to move. "Before you continue, there's something I want to say."

He looked at her hesitantly and she saw the flash of worry dart across his sapphire eyes.

"I don't want to waste another moment either. I love you. More than life itself, and these last few weeks…well, if they've taught me anything, it's that I don't want to go another minute longer than I have to without being your wife."

Rick grinned at her. They really did have that freaky mind thing going. He opened his mouth to speak, but she silenced him with a finger on his lips.

"When I thought I lost you," she trailed off and took a steadying breath. Rick captured her hands with his own and this seemed to give her the strength to continue. "That's my greatest fear. Losing you. You are so much a part of me, that I honestly don't know what I would have done without you. As corny as this might be, Rick, you're in my veins. Through and through. I don't want to go another day without being your wife. So, what I'm trying to say, is," Kate paused to brush away the lone tear that had escaped her eyes. "Will you marry me? Today?"

Rick stood so abruptly that he almost knocked her over. He caught her face between his hands and pulled her in for a kiss. "Are you kidding me? Yes! Of course I will!"

She kissed him again, filled with so much love and relief that this man was actually standing in front of her that it made her weak in the knees. It took her a moment to realize he was rambling.

"Okay. We need to get down to City Hall. Let's call Alexis, Mother, and your Dad so they don't miss it. Then we can call the guys and Lanie and have them meet us at the Old Haunt to celebrate, and then - "

"Rick," Kate laughed as she placed a hand on his shoulder to silence him. "Babe. Stop."

He narrowed his eyes in question, but she was thrilled to see that they hadn't stopped dancing.

She smirked. "It's all taken care of."

"What do you mean?" he asked her suspiciously, watching as her smile grew and the golden specks in her eyes darted around in amusement.

Kate shrugged in an attempt to be nonchalant, when the truth was that she felt anything but. "It's all taken care of. Everyone's waiting for us in the Hamptons. We're going to have our wedding. Then tomorrow we leave for the Maldives. Everything's been arranged."

Rick gaped at her. "Seriously?"

She nodded and he pulled her to his chest, cradling her there, practically bouncing up and down in excitement.

He pulled back to look at her and beamed. "You're incredible. Do you know that? You planned all of this?"

Kate nodded again and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth shyly. "It was fun. You're a tough one to surprise, but I'm glad we pulled it off. Besides, I wanted to know what it felt like."

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

Rick couldn't believe the faint tinge of pink that flourished on his fiancé's cheeks.

"To propose," Kate admitted shyly. "I know you already did, and we're getting married, but I guess I wanted to know what it would feel like to get down on my knee and tell you just how much you mean to me. Catch you off guard just like you did when you proposed to me. I never saw it coming, and I'm still so grateful that you chose to be with me, even with everything I put you through."

"It was never a choice, Kate," he told her, making sure to hold her gaze so she would know he spoke the truth. "Loving you was never a choice. I couldn't stop loving you any more than I could stop breathing. I need you, Kate," Rick said simply.

That was the truth. For both of them.

He wrapped his arms around her once again and Kate rested her head on his chest. When she looked up at him, there were tears running down her cheeks.

"I need you too, Rick. So much."

He kissed the tip of her nose and she laughed.

"What do you say we go get married?" Rick asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Kate teased as she helped him into the car.

Once she'd settled herself on the driver's side and pulled away from the curb, Rick entwined his fingers with hers.

Kate looked over at him and he was grinning at her. In that way he had reserved just for her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he told her innocently, but Kate knew her writer. That tone was anything but innocent.

"I don't believe you," she countered, a knowing smirk on her face.

Rick sighed dramatically. "Fine." His gaze darted to hers once again and his face lit up.

Kate was relieved to see he had regained most of his color. It had felt like weeks that he had been nearly as pale as the hospital walls. He was starting to look like Rick again, and she was sure that some time in the sun would be just what the doctor ordered.

"So, are you going to tell me?" she asked, only pretending to huff the question. She was actually glad to see him back to his normal, sneaky self.

He chuckled. "If you must know, Detective, I was plotting on how best to get you to agree to some car games."

Kate groaned, but again it was all for show. She'd play car games with him from New York to California so long as he was alive and well next to her. She may not have been a fan of I Spy, or 20 questions before she met Richard Castle, but he made them more, fun.

Rick's eyes lit up when he realized he'd won. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kate beat him to it.

"The game is 20 questions. Go." She smirked as she saw the wheels turning in his head, his mouth narrowed in a frown of concentration.

"Hmm is it a person?"

"Nope." He was never going to guess this one. She'd happily drive to their wedding playing car games and laughing with her fiancé.

She could barely control her elation. Because they were getting married. Finally.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen (and if you feel like following on twitter, it's at livewritealways. Thanks friends!)_


	15. Chapter 15

_Sorry for the delay everyone. No excuses, except a lack of confidence. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your kind words and support – they really do mean the world to me. Special thanks as always to __**burningxredxcaskett**__ for your guidance and for giving me more confidence in this chapter. I hope you all like this one!_

Chapter 15.

"Katie, it's okay, we'll be with him," her father assured her as he tried to persuade his daughter to leave the man she loved. It was just for an hour, for them to get ready, but Kate found herself rooted to the spot.

She didn't want to leave him.

She couldn't leave him. Not again.

Kate blinked, and then her eyes fluttered closed with the memory. The last time she left him he was taken from her, and she couldn't control the irrational fear that it could happen again.

She saw the blazing fire. Experienced the agony all over again. Thinking he was gone. Thinking he was dead. She saw him slumped on his chair in the warehouse. Saw Tyson shoot him. Felt her blood run cold at the sight. Then she saw the doctors running from his hospital room. She felt that gripping fear all over again. It was just the blink of an eye, but she experienced every last moment of fear that had happened since their original wedding day.

"Kate," his voice was quiet, soft so he didn't startle her out of her thoughts. She felt his gentle touch land on her elbow, drawing her back to him.

She brought her hazel eyes up to meet his sparkling blue ones. If she didn't know him the way she did, she would have only seen the happiness. Instead, she was met with worry. Worry for her.

"I'll be with your dad, Espo, and Ryan. I'm gonna be okay. We're getting married soon. I _will_ be waiting for you when you walk down the aisle. I promise." Rick reached for her hand and squeezed. It was as though all of his confidence and reassurance was transferred to her.

She could breathe again. He was happy and whole. He was standing right in front of her. He was alive, so wonderfully alive, and he wasn't going anywhere. They were getting married.

Kate nodded with a small smile and took a deep breath. "Okay." She turned to her father. "Thanks Dad."

"I'll see you soon," Rick told her with a soft kiss to her cheek.

This time, the smile reached her eyes. It was really happening. "I'll be the one in white."

Kate watched her dad and Rick leave the room, then turned to find Martha waiting for her.

"Are you alright, Darling?" her soon to be mother in law asked.

She nodded. "It's just, the last time I left him - "

"I know," Martha interrupted gently. "But it's different now. Richard has gotten so much stronger. And this day, well, let's just say he's been waiting for it for the last six years. He'll be waiting for you. What do you say we get this show on the road?"

Kate grinned. "Thanks, Martha."

They went to meet Lanie and Alexis in the master bedroom where they had her mother's dress lying on the bed.

"I had it cleaned," Alexis told her quietly. She mistook Kate's silence for fear for the dress and quickly spoke up again. "Elsa's great. I promise she didn't hurt it at all. I just didn't think you would want all of the dirt and soot on it for today…" She trailed off when Kate hurried forward and pulled her in for a hug.

The two women clung to each other. "Thanks, Lex," Kate told her when they finally broke apart. "Thank you for everything."

The redhead blushed as she moved out of the way.

Lanie, Martha and Alexis helped Kate into her dress and the photographer was on hand to document the moment every step of the way.

Lanie dabbed at a tear in her eye. "Kate, you're glowing. You look beautiful."

Kate flushed with pride. There were reasons unknown to the other women in the room for the glow, but she wasn't ready to share them yet. Instead she thanked her best friend and enjoyed the rest of their time putting finishing touches on her make up and talking with the other women.

"Are you ready for this, Kate?" Alexis questioned with a glint in her eye. "You do know he's gonna be a lot to handle, right?"

Kate laughed. Richard Castle, a lot to handle. That was an understatement if she ever heard one. She'd known he was a handful from the moment she approached him at his _Storm Fall_ release party. His ruggedly handsome good looks, that scruff, oh that scruff that just shouted bad boy. But he was so much more than that. She'd thought he was a pompous ass, but, even from the beginning she realized there was more to the man than that. He was a child at times, but he cared with his whole heart. His love for his daughter had shown her that. His love for her, well, she'd seen that too, as much as she tried to deny it. The others hadn't been wrong. She'd fallen for him long before she was willing to admit it to them, or more importantly, to herself. Richard Castle was more than she deserved, the best man she knew, and she was more than ready to become his wife. She knew he was supposed to be her always. The time couldn't pass fast enough for her liking.

"I'm more than ready."

The time ticked on, slowly, but surely. She was ready to meet him at the end of the aisle.

In another wing of the house (yes, another wing), Rick and the guys were finishing getting ready as well. Rick was a bit more subdued than Esposito and Ryan would have thought, and they were starting to get concerned.

"You alright, man?" Ryan asked.

Rick turned abruptly, startled out of his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm great."

"You sure, bro?" Esposito clearly didn't believe him.

The writer smiled. "Positive. Just thinking. I can't believe it's really over. Tyson's been hanging over our heads for…a while now. I can't believe we're free."

"Believe it," Esposito grinned and clapped his friend on the back. "Did you ever think this day would really get here?"

Rick closed his eyes and thought back to the moment when he first saw Detective Kate Beckett. He was bored at his predictable book launch, and she was, a breath of fresh air. She commanded his attention from the first moment he heard her speak. Her sharp features and her desire to find the answers, to fight for justice, had heightened his need to follow her, for her to be his muse. But, it was her passion for others, her at times remarkable, maddening, challenging, frustrating personality, and ultimately her smile that had made him fall head over heels in love with her. Dizzying array of hairstyles, private jokes, finishing each other's sentences, hand shakes, and finally, finally kissing her. Who was he kidding? He'd been the first to fall. He'd been hers from her first 'Mr. Castle'. He knew she was supposed to be his always. The time couldn't pass fast enough for his liking.

When he opened his eyes again, they were twinkling. That missing piece, that missing excitement the boys were looking for had been found.

"I knew it would," he told them. "I always knew I'd wear her down."

The two detectives chuckled. They knew it too. They had always known it was only a matter of time before 'mom and dad' finally got their shit together and realized they were perfect for each other.

Esposito looked down at his watch. "What do you say? Ready to see your bride?"

Rick looked positively giddy with excitement now. He bounced slightly in place. "Can't wait."

The boys led him outside and they walked down the aisle together, brothers in every sense of the word. Rick nodded to guests on both sides, felt the breeze sweep through his hair and took a moment to breathe in the sea air.

He saw his mother sitting in the front row. She winked at him and the boys sat on either side of her. Family.

Alexis walked down the aisle alone, and when she reached him, enveloped him in a hug. "I love you, Dad."

"Love you too, Pumpkin," he whispered against her hair.

Rick watched as Lanie made her way down the aisle, a soft smile for him on her face. He concentrated on his breathing as he waited for the moment he would see her.

Then finally, finally, after what seemed like ages, the music changed, the guests rose from their seats, and the breath caught in his throat.

One look at her and the rest of the world fell away.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen (and if you feel like following on twitter, it's at livewritealways. Thanks friends!)_


	16. Chapter 16

_Thank you so much to everyone for all of your support with this story! We're almost to the end, there is just an epilogue left to go. Thank you to those who've been with me since the beginning and those who have found this little story along the way. All of your reviews, private messages, favorites and follows have meant the world to me. Special thanks as always to the great __**burningxredxcaskett**__. Couldn't have done it without you! _

Chapter 16.

Kate laced her arm through her father's as they prepared to leave the house for her walk down the aisle.

"Your mother would be so proud of you," he whispered before he kissed her cheek gently.

She just nodded. She knew if she spoke the tears would come, and she wasn't ready for that yet. Kate took a deep breath as the music changed and walked through the door.

She didn't see Captain Gates. She didn't see Lanie, or Jenny, or the boys. She didn't see Evelyn Montgomery, or her Aunt Theresa. She only saw Rick.

One look at him and the rest of the world fell away.

She was shaking slightly when she reached him, but as her father passed her hand to Rick's, his warmth steadied her. They weren't tremors of fear, but of excitement. Of joy.

As she smiled up at him through her dark lashes, Kate pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Rick rubbed his thumbs over Kate's hands as they waited for the preacher to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today," the man began. The beginning of the ceremony passed in a whirlwind. Rick and Kate had decided to go the traditional route, at least until it came to their vows. Those they wanted to be personal. They wanted to use their vows to say everything they had ever wanted to tell each other, from their past, present and future.

Before they knew it, it was time.

"Katherine, if you'd like to begin," the preacher told her with an encouraging smile.

Kate took a deep breath and squeezed Rick's hands. He smiled at her, sapphire eyes twinkling in the sunshine, projecting so much love that it looked like he would burst.

"Little did I know when I crashed the _Storm Fall_ book release party that I'd met my future husband. What Rick doesn't know though, is that we'd met before." She paused here to watch his reaction. His eyes widened with question and she nodded. "We met at a book signing."

Understanding dawned on Rick and he gaped at her. How could he not remember this? But then he remembered, that flash of rain drenched chestnut hair, the way her eyes lit up when she saw him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kate had already continued with her story.

"I waited in line for two hours to get my copy of _Hell Hath No Fury_ signed. It was pouring rain, and by the time I got to the front of the line I know I looked like crap. I was soaked to the bone and shaking from the cold, but you looked at me, with those deep blue eyes of yours, and I felt like the most beautiful girl in the world. Then, I saw what you wrote. _Kate, don't hide your smile from the world. It sends a light to your eyes that is unparalleled. Until we meet again. Yours, Richard Castle_. You noticed me that day Rick, and were a reminder, even then that even on the worst days there's a possibility for joy. I may not have opened my eyes to your depth in the beginning of our partnership, but it didn't take long for me to see that you were so much more than your playboy image." Kate brushed her thumb over his hand when she saw the tears form in his eyes.

"Your ability to love with everything that you are is incredible. You are the most loving, selfless, strongest, smartest, most ruggedly handsome man I have ever met and I am so honored to call you my best friend and now, husband. You've taught me how to live again, how to love, and I will be forever grateful to you for that. I don't know how I can ever show you how much you mean to me, but I promise to spend the rest of my life trying. I love you Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle. Always."

There were tears streaming down Rick's face as she slid the platinum band over his finger.

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Wow. I don't know how to follow that, but I'll give it my best. Kate, you probably won't believe this, but when you brought up that story, from the _Hell Hath No Fury_ signing, I had a flashback. I remember you. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. Out of the hundreds of fans I met that day, you were the one that stood out to me. There was something haunting you, I could see it even then, but when you made it to the front of the line, your eyes lit up with your smile, and some part of me knew we'd meet again. I'm thankful every day that you turned up at the launch party. I enjoyed pulling your pigtails, I loved driving you crazy. But most of all, I loved experiencing your passion for justice, your desire to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. You inspire me to be a better man every day of my life. You are the most remarkable, maddening, challenging, frustrating person I have ever met, and my life would be nothing without you in it. You don't see how beautiful you are or how much your presence touches those around you. You're incredible. We've been through a lot, but every moment has led us right here. To this moment. I can't say I'm a fan of diffusing bombs with seconds to spare, or trying to avoid becoming tiger kibble," Rick paused while their guests chuckled, many unaware of how serious he actually was.

Kate smiled as her eyes filled with tears. She lost the battle to control them though, and they ran slowly down her cheeks.

"During one of our more recent struggles I told you that ours is a great love story. I asked you, what's a great love story without obstacles to overcome? We all know that every fairytale has them - terrible trials that only the worthy can transcend. We wanted the happy ending so we didn't give up. And look where we are now. We've battled bombs, tigers, crazed fans, poison and so much more. I'm even willing to concede and admit that you've saved me more times than I've saved you. Because you have. Kate, without you, I would have lived a decent life. But that's all. With you, my world is extraordinary. It's so much more than I ever imagined was possible, and we all know how crazy my imagination can be. I wouldn't trade any of our adventures, or any of the hard times we've been through for a moment of my life without you. You've already shown me how much I mean to you, there's nothing left to prove. We're partners in every sense of the word. I promise I won't ever stop annoying you or staring, even when it's creepy. I promise to be there for you and to try harder each and every day to be a better man for you. I love you Katherine Houghton Beckett. Always."

Rick slid her diamond wedding band down her finger before he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

The couple didn't realize it, but there wasn't a dry eye amongst their friends and family. As always, they only had eyes for each other.

The preacher finished the ceremony, Rick and Kate said their "I do's" and before they knew it, he had pronounced them man and wife and told Rick to kiss his bride.

He did so without any inhibitions.

Rick tipped Kate back in a toe-curling, knee-buckling kiss that had their family and friends laughing and cat calling. When they finally broke apart for air, the grins on their faces rivaled the glow from the sun. They were married.

Finally married.

Rick and Kate Castle linked their fingers together and raced down the aisle, more than ready to celebrate with their friends and family before they took off for their honeymoon.

After everything they'd been through, they made it. They finally made it.

This was the beginning of their always.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen (and if you feel like following on twitter, it's at livewritealways. Thanks friends!)_


	17. Epilogue

_We've reached the end of this story my friends! I have had a couple of requests for a sequel…I'm still debating, but if there are a number of you who would be interested in one, I might have to write it. Thank you so much to all of you for reading, reviewing, and for sticking with me on this journey. You're amazing! And special thanks to __**burningxredxcasket**__t for reading through this countless times, and constantly keeping my chin up. Love ya!_

Epilogue.

_Five weeks later…_

Lanie's piercing scream echoed around the nearly empty Old Haunt.

"Annnnnd I'm deaf," Rick winced as he rubbed his ear gingerly.

Lanie ignored him, her focus solely on her best friend. "You're pregnant?"

Kate nodded, beaming.

"Congrats, Chica!" Javi leaned over and slung an arm around Kate's shoulder.

"Yeah, boss. Congrats!" Kevin reached across the table and squeezed Kate's hand.

Rick frowned at them. "Hey guys! What am I? Chopped liver?"

Lanie laughed. "Congratulations to you too, Writer Boy."

"I think if this proves anything it's that I'm Writer _Man_." Rick emphasized the last word with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"I'm gonna have to second that one," Kate teased as she raised her eyebrows and tugged her lip playfully between her teeth.

The boys groaned and shook their heads before they gave in and grinned.

"But really, congrats Bro," Javi said as he clapped Rick on the shoulder.

"We're excited for you two," Kevin chimed in.

Lanie plopped her hand down on the table, commanding the group's attention. "So, tell us. What'd your parents say? What about Alexis?"

Their time home had been a whirlwind. The doctor's appointment to confirm the pregnancy. Excitement. So much excitement. Telling their parents and Alexis. Sharing their excitement. And now, telling their friends. Kate smiled to herself as she closed her eyes a moment and thought back to telling their family and how similar their reactions were to what they were experiencing now.

After their initial doctor's appointment, Rick and Kate had their parents and Alexis over for dinner. They wanted to tell the three of them together, so no one felt left out.

"So," Martha asked as she spooned salad onto her plate. "What's your news?"

"What makes you think we have news?" Rick arched an eyebrow at his mother and she just rolled her eyes dramatically.

"You've been home a week, and we haven't seen you. Then suddenly you invite us all over for dinner. It's a little suspicious Richard."

"You don't think we just missed you guys?" Kate rationalized with a smile.

"Oh we have no doubt of that, Katie," her dad said, a twinkle in his eye. "But you do have news for us, don't you?"

Alexis just looked at them expectantly. Waiting.

"Well," Rick looked to Kate who nodded.

They smiled at each other, then exclaimed, "We're having a baby!" together.

Alexis' scream had rivaled Lanie's. Maybe even surpassed it. "Seriously?"

Rick grinned at his daughter. "Seriously!

The young redhead screamed again and everyone covered their ears. "Sorry," she shrugged. But she didn't look sorry at all.

"So," Kate began, the flecks of gold in her eyes dancing with excitement. "Is it safe to say you're excited about the news?"

Alexis jumped up to hug her stepmother. "Are you kidding me? I've always wanted a baby brother or sister. This is the best news ever."

Kate turned her attention to her dad and Martha. "You're being awfully quiet," she said hesitantly.

Jim looked at his daughter, tears brimming his eyes. "I'm so happy I can't even find the words," he said quietly. He reached across the table and squeezed his daughter's hand. "Your mother would be so excited."

Rick rubbed his thumb over Kate's hand as she nodded. She couldn't stop the tears from sliding down her cheeks. "I know she would."

The group was quiet for a moment, out of respect for Kate and Johanna. Then Rick noticed there were tears in his mother's eyes as well.

"Are you okay, Mother?"

The actress nodded, but the tears escaped and raced down her face.

"Martha?" Kate asked, clearly alarmed.

"Oh, Darlings. I'm thrilled. Over the moon. Its just…" she paused and took a deep breath. "I think it just hit me. All of this," Martha waved her hand through the air. "It almost didn't happen. You almost didn't make it Richard. We almost lost you."

Rick stood up, crossed to where his mother was sitting and pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm right here, Mother. Stronger than ever."

He held her as she cried, and Kate walked around the table to join them.

Martha was right of course. She had come so close to losing the man she loved more than life itself. It had been too close and she never wanted to go through anything like that again. They'd had enough close calls to last them a lifetime.

Rick looked a million times better than he had even at the wedding. His skin was sun kissed, the bruises were gone, and with the exception of a scar from his bullet wound, and a small scar on his head that was mostly hidden by his hair, no one would ever have guessed what he had been through. Kate thanked her lucky stars every night that her husband was not only alive, but he was stronger than ever.

Martha wiped her eyes before she squeezed Rick's hand, then Kate's. "I'm sorry. Here you are sharing this exciting news, and I'm crying like, well, a baby! I'm thrilled you two. I'm going to spoil this little one like crazy!"

They knew she would. They all would. This child was going to be loved so much by all of their family, both immediate and extended.

The evening was one of celebration, love and happiness after that point. Alexis, Jim, and Martha had fun debating the baby's gender and offering their own suggestions for names.

Rick and Kate had rolled their eyes at most of them, but decided to keep a few in their back pockets for later deliberation. All in all it was a perfect night.

When Kate opened her eyes again, her three friends were staring at her expectantly.

"Well?" Lanie demanded.

"They're thrilled," Rick said for her. "I think Alexis screamed louder than you did."

Everyone laughed.

Rick went behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of sparkling cider to celebrate. They passed a good part of the evening with their friends, and this time, there were more name suggestions.

"I just think you should go with Javier," the detective said for the third time in as many minutes. "I mean, this one over here," he motioned to his partner, "didn't go with it, so someone should."

"I was going to. But then we had a daughter…" Kevin pointed out.

Javi waved him off. "So anyway, what do you think?"

Rick and Kate chuckled.

"It's a great name, Javi," Kate began.

"But we aren't making any decisions yet," Rick finished.

The detective pouted, even going so far as to cross his arms.

"On that note, I'm gonna just throw this out there. Kevin Castle. It has a nice ring to it," the Irish detective piped in.

"Not as nice as Javier Castle," his partner muttered.

"Guys," Kate laughed. "We don't even know the gender yet! For all we know it could be a girl. And before you even say anything," she added when she saw Lanie open her mouth. "Lanie is a great name. Thank you for all of your suggestions. You've been so helpful!"

"We'll let you know as soon as we decide anything," Rick promised.

The group finished off their sparkling cider before they decided to call it a night. They parted ways outside of the Old Haunt just as the evening's darkness swept over the city.

"Feel like walking for a bit?" Kate asked her husband.

He pulled their entwined fingers to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Sounds good to me, Babe."

They walked in comfortable silence for a few blocks, lost in thoughts of marriage, babies, and the elation they both felt.

Rick tucked his wife in his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her arm found its place on his waist as she leaned against him.

"So," Rick began.

Kate angled her head to look up at him as she arched her eyebrow in question.

"Baby names," he grinned. "Our family and friends are so helpful, aren't they?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh so incredibly helpful. I'm pretty sure we're gonna have to deal with the boys and their suggestions throughout my whole pregnancy."

Rick chuckled. "Do you have any ideas? Because I've got a few - "

"I am not naming our child Cosmo!" Kate interrupted quickly. "We've already talked about that. And before you even suggest it, we're not naming our child Batman or Robin either."

Rick just smiled.

"What?"

"I just love hearing you say _our_ child." He leaned down to kiss her and she grinned.

"I love saying it. _Our_ child," Kate repeated as she wrapped herself up tighter in her husband's arms.

"I love it so much I'm just gonna let the fact that you nixed my favorite names go. For now."

Kate laughed. She knew he wasn't serious. She knew he was just having fun teasing her. She didn't care.

She was just happy to have this conversation with him. She was happy he was alive and well. She was happy Jerry Tyson didn't win.

They had their always, and she couldn't ask for anything more.

_Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts! xo Kristen (and if you feel like following on twitter, it's at livewritealways. Thanks friends!)_


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